Conversation
Conversation
Almaz: Garsamo, can you explain to me how friends can be important in your life?
Garsamo: Yes, I can. With close friends, you develop important life skills. For example, they help you express your opinions, discuss important issues, learn new things, and build your own perspective. In fact, friends help us grow.
Almaz: Good friends increase our happiness, teach us how to connect with others, and greatly contribute to building our self-confidence. They make us feel good about ourselves. We can freely share our thoughts or secrets without being laughed at or judged, and we know our secrets are safe. Even when we disagree, true friends respect us.
Garsamo: Do you think it’s possible to have a friendship with someone of the opposite sex without it becoming a romantic relationship?
Almaz: Of course it’s possible. I believe boys and girls can be friends without romance. I, myself have friends of different genders because I can learn from different perspectives. But people may still gossip or doubt such friendships.
Garsamo: That’s unfortunate. I believe friends play a big role in shaping who we are. We discuss our future goals and plans with them and support each other. They help us find answers to life’s questions and make us feel better by talking through the changes we experience during youth. They also expose us to new ideas.
Almaz: Do you think all the new ideas friends introduce are good? Tell me more.
Garsamo: I’ve thought about that. I once had a friend who introduced me to many new things, including drinking alcohol. After some time, I realized it wasn’t good for me. I told him we should stop and that it wasn’t a good path. I also told him that if he didn’t agree, he could find other friends.
Almaz: So what did you do?
Garsamo: Even though I knew I was making the right decision, it wasn’t easy. We had been close friends for a long time, and I didn’t want to lose him. But in the end, I had to stand by my decision. I told him, “I want to stay your friend, but I can’t be your drinking companion.” Making that choice helped me feel confident in myself.
Almaz: I’d like your advice on something else. I want to have a good relationship with my family, but lately we don’t seem to agree like we used to. Sometimes we can’t agree on anything. Do you get along with your parents or elders the same way as before?
Garsamo: Honestly, I’ve been going through something similar.
Almaz: When I spoke to my aunt, she gave me helpful advice. You know how I wanted to try a new hairstyle and asked my mother to buy me trendy clothes? My family didn’t understand where these new ideas were coming from, and they were upset. They also don’t understand why I sometimes want to be alone. So many things have changed in a short time, and I don’t see things the same way they do.
Garsamo: From what you’re saying, it sounds like parents sometimes find it hard to understand that we’re growing and developing our own views. So as young people, we need to be patient until they adjust. After all, they care about us deeply and want us to choose the right path.
Almaz: Sometimes I feel like they don’t trust me or believe in me. My aunt explained that parents play a big role in shaping both who we are now and who we will become in the future. Even if I don’t follow exactly the same path as my family, I still need to create my own plans. I’ve also realized that understanding these changes is difficult for both me and my family.
To deal with this, I started by discussing a “friend’s problem” with my mother without mentioning names. During that conversation, I realized she no longer saw me as a child. I also saw how wise she is. It helped her understand how I think, and it helped us build trust and better communication.
That was a good solution. Have you ever experienced something similar? When challenges come up in growing up or in friendships, try discussing them openly with your family and friends.
Conclusion:
To strengthen relationships in both friendship and family life, it is important to continuously support, guide, and encourage open communication so that young people can understand and apply healthy ways of relating to others.