Assignment 19 Hannah Pauley

My parents are full of those cliché pieces of advice that you grow up accustomed to rolling your eyes at. But once in a while, some decent advice cracks itself open to me-- in the form of fortune cookie messages. The last one I received, I kept because it told me that to have a friend is to be a friend, and I've never read anything more true. Since that day I've thought more about my actions and attitudes towards my friends than I had before, and I find myself more and more satisfied with my relationships. I have even more fun at my crazy weekend ragers when I think about others as much as I think about myself, because protecting the interests of others is acting for the happiness of those close to you, which in turn makes the company of those people more enjoyable. Not only this, but doing things for people brings you closer to them, and them closer to you. Consideration and thoughtfulness are what ultimately make a strong and worthwhile relationship, and I learned all of that from a cookie.