yayalin

       我喜欢看美国电视剧《老友记》，讲的是纽约三对青年男女的爱情好生活。 看着他们一个个充满戏剧性的情节，令人又捧腹大笑的同时又热泪盈眶， 他们让我思考朋友对我意味着什么。

       年轻的时候，我认为朋友是愿意花时间和你一起做任何事情的人，比如玩、聊天、学习，甚至做愚蠢的事。 也許前一天你们争吵打闹，第二天就和好如初了。 朋友不在乎你是否丑陋或无聊， 你们之间没有秘密。 无论你做什么，朋友都会原谅你。 朋友就是一切。

       长大后成熟了， 你会发现身边的朋友都会改变。 有人留下来，有人离开了。 当有人离开时，我感到很难过。 后来明白了，朋友不仅仅是一个能和你一起笑的人，也是可以和你一起哭的人。 朋友是在你需要的时候为你挺身而出的人。 开始支持你的是朋友，离开的也未必不是，永远的也许只有你自己。

      現在我已年过半百了， 认识过很多人，也有很多人生经历。 我的更成熟的观点是，朋友还有可能会再次改变，每个人都有自己的生活。 人们的关系有时需要距离，尤其是友谊。 也许朋友不经常见面或交谈，但相聚时仍然相互理解，这才是成熟的友谊，尊重彼此的生活和看法， 甚至尊重之间的差异和距离。

       所以朋友是你身边感到舒服的人，即使什么都不做。 我学会了不要对朋友期望太高，也许这样友谊才能长久。

       I like to watch the American TV show  “ Friends” where three young men and three young women live in the same apartment complex and face life and love in New York. I laughed and cried when I watched them. They made me think about what friends mean to me.

      When I was young I thought  a friend was someone who was happy to spend time with you doing anything, such as playing, talking, learning, even doing stupid errands. Maybe you fight with each other one day and reunite the next. A friend doesn’t care if you're ugly or boring. There is no secret between you. A friend forgives you no matter what you do. A friend is everything.

       When I grew up, I matured. I found that the friends around me changed eventually. Someone stayed, someone left. I felt sad when someone left. I understood later that a friend is more than someone who just laughs with you and someone who can cry with you. A friend should be the one to stand up for you when you need it.  A friend is supportive, but not every friend lasts forever. 

      Now that I am fifty, half of my life has passed already. I have known a lot of people and I have had so many life experiences. My more mature point of view is that my  friends may  change again. I realize that everyone has their own life. People’s relationships sometimes need distance, especially friendships. Maybe friends don’t see each other or talk together very often,  but they still understand each other when they do connect. My friendships have matured because my friends and I respect each other’s lives and opinions. We know we can always contact each other when we need it. A friend is for fun and for support.

      Finally, I know a friend is someone you like so much that you want to share  your interests and  your common values with each other. A friend is someone that you feel comfortable being around, even doing nothing at all. I have learned not to expect too much from friends and by being open my friendships have lasted longer.