When I was younger. Naïve, close minded, friendly, and thankful. I presumed that everybody I encountered was my friend. Sadly I would soon have to face reality. I may have been a little bit more shelter than I should have. As a child reply on your parents and other adult figures. In second grade I had so many “friends”. I remember this one friend in particular. Candice. She was a great friend but then again I was only 7. Every year I would acquire a new best friend. I kind of felt that it was natural. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. I never would’ve thought that in 3rdgrade, 2003 I would run into a girl name indigo.

“Hi”, indigo said.

“Hey”, gently I spoke.

After that we became friend for life. As time grew, months, years, hours and days. I lost many more friends as time flew by me. All of sudden it was my first year of middle school and everybody was all into different things. People I thought were cool weren’t so much and I was pretty much cool with that. I noticed I only had 3 real friends so I thought. I was very limited and selective of the people I hung around.

My first year of high school really made me remember my mother’s words. “Jo everybody isn’t your friend, you’ve got to know when to hold them and when to fold them.”
I’d always say “Ma I know, I know.” But really I knew nothing. My cousin and I were really close and she always would say your” Mother knows best.”
She was right my mama did know more than I thought. I had a friend who likes to steal and I thought that just because I wasn’t doing it meant that it wouldn’t affect me in any way. I was told not to be friend people who lie or steal.

“Watch the company you keep.” Mother said.
My reply would always be “okay.”

I’m glad that my mother taught me certain things about how to read people. In a way loosing friends was a part of life that everybody has to go thru.