I believe in companionship and learning how to trust. Thinking of this I recall one day working at the animal clinic and seeing, or rather hearing, a dog that was either very much in pain, or terribly afraid. Even though I’ve seen many hurt animals walking through the treatment room or the waiting room, there has always been a level of sympathy I have not been able to stray away from. But as I strolled around, this dog could merely lie there and look at me, and when I walked closer to him, he stopped making those saddening noises and began to wag his tail. And then it occurred to me; this dog puts an impressive amount of trust into people he has never even seen before. He’s been through confusion and pain, and still all he really needs to make him happy is a moment’s companionship to escape the imprisonment of being alone. And these are the most important things in all of our lives, companionship and trust.
I believe that trust and companionship go hand-in-hand, because how can you expect to be true friends with someone that you do not trust, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, how can you trust someone completely who was not your friend in some way? In relation to my own life, I’ve had my ups and downs with friendships, but there have always been people with whom I felt confident in talking to about anything. Without that kind of trust in at least one person, I can’t imagine where I would be today. This takes me back through the years and the losses, I, like most people have been forced to endure. I specifically recount last year when a man named Richard, or as everyone called him, Dick, passed away. He was just like a father to me, drove me wherever I needed to go, made it possible for me to begin piano lessons seven years ago, and bought me a piano to practice with. When he unexpectedly passed away, it was a reality check for me. Suddenly, I didn’t have him around anymore, and everything he used to say and do ran through my head constantly. This was one of the hardest times of my life, and I’m not sure how I would have gotten through it without the help of friends. I talked to them and they helped me cope with all my problems. Only from there was I able to work through the pain of losing a loved one, and now I can look at the life ahead of me in a more positive light. I’ve continued with piano lessons for him, and two weeks from now, when I have my first piano recital without him there to avidly listen to all my hard work, I’ll be playing for him; I know he’ll be listening right there beside me.
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