  John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." Friends. How many of us have them? Okay, so that’s a line from an old school rap song by Kool Moe D but it’s still relevant today. Making and keeping friends is one of the hardest things you’ll do in life. People grow, change and in some cases, betray you and the friendship falls apart. Sometimes friendship can be so hard that you have to question yourself: do I really need to have friends? Friendship can definitely be a roller coaster ride if you aren’t careful about the people you consider a friend. There will be times that you feel lost without them. There will be some days you wish you had someone to laugh with, talk to and create memories with. You will also experience days when all you want to do is be by yourself and that’s perfectly fine. Nevertheless, you still need a good friend or two. I mean, it’s not like you want to be an outsider or loner. You want to have fun and you should. So friends are needed. However, you want to be careful about who you make friends with. Unfortunately, not everyone has good intentions about wanting to be your friend so you have to be cautious before giving someone the honorable title. You don’t want to become friends with people who will misuse you. It’s important to be aware of how people treat you and expect for you to treat them. You don’t want to be friends with people who peer pressure you into following teenage trends. You certainly don’t want to be friends with people who make you feel insecure or intimidated by them. So what kind of friends do you want? You want the kind of friends who will laugh with you, not at you. The kind of friends that will support you when you want to sign up for class president, join the cheerleading squad or the drama club. You want friends who will give you tissue when you cry over your first heartbreak or give you a hug when your parents disappoint you. You want friends who will laugh with you until your stomach hurt over an inside joke. You want friends who will let you be you unapologetically. Bottom line, your friends should complement who you are. You should share similar interests, have a mutual respect for one another and feel safe around each other. You friends should be your biggest cheerleaders. They should not compete with you or try to hurt your feelings in any way. Now, when making friends, you should focus on the quality of the person and not the quantity. Yeah, it sounds cute to have a squad or if you’re a Drake fan, woes. However, if the people you surround yourself with aren’t authentic and genuine about being your friend, you’ll set yourself up for a failed friendship. And who wants that? I know that it can be really hard to make friends because you’re so unique and most people don’t understand your quirkiness. It’s hard to see people walking around campus with a group of friends and you feel like a loser or loner. You may feel that you’ll never have anyone who understands you. Trust me you’ll attract the perfect friend. Just keep being who you are. When it comes to making friends you have to be open to the possibilities. Life is so unpredictable. The person who you think you have nothing in common with is likely your future bestie. The person that is labeled the uncool kid is most likely the best friend anyone could have but is over looked because of not fitting in the category of teenage normalcy. Let’s face it: no one is normal. I mean, absolutely no one. So when making friends don’t try to hide your unique personality. It’s best to show up as yourself right away so that you can draw the right friends into your life. To be clear, you definitely need friends. Why? They help guide you through life. People rarely grow up with the same belief system, rules and outlook on life so it’s great to meet someone else who views life differently and can provide a different perspective. Having friends build character, communication skills and expands your understanding of culture. I know you may think friends are just people you have fun with but friendship is much more important than just a few laughs. You should be able to depend on your friends for moral support. This is why it’s important to choose friends who actually have morals. Sure, it’s cool to be friends with the kids who crack jokes and seemingly do whatever they want but ultimately you want friends who have respect for themselves as well as others. You want friends who follow the necessary rules and guidelines at school and in life in general. You want friends who have a good heart and a positive mindset. You want friends who will help you become a better you. Follow Jessica LeeAnn on Facebook and Instagram Grab a copy of her latest teen novel: 
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