A friend like thee

While Twelfth Night is full of humor, lying, and confusion, it is also full of friendship, and I like to imagine that Olivia and Viola went on to become very good friends. On one such occasion, Olivia remarks on the goodness of Viola's friendship: "A friend like thee might bear my soul to hell" (Twelfth Night, 3.4.226). This statement of trust made me smile when I read it, because it made me think of the people in my life who are so loyal and good. Often, I don't show enough appreciation for these people. When I reflect on life's ups and downs, I see that what makes life not only bearable, but even wonderful, are the people that surround me with love, laughter, and joy. When school, work, health issues, and social struggles threaten to put me down, they are never able to do so for long because of the people in my life that reach out and lift me up. This phrase by Olivia made me remember the importance of expressing my admiration for others. People need to know that they are appreciated and seen, and when we take such action to voice our love, they become even better friends. So I suppose that a large region I wanted to write about this phrase was so that I could take a moment to reflect on the many people who I trust and love so very much.
Thank you Molly, for offering strength when I did not have enough.
Thank you Katie, for being a constant in my life when nothing else was making sense.
Thank you other Katie, for teaching me about confidence.
Thank you Terry, for showing me how to love deeply.
Thank you McKayla, for listening.
Thank you Amy, for creating with me.
Thank you Cami, for being a friend when I had few.

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