It was a beautiful Friday, February 11th, my dog’s birthday. Alvin, my dog, is a very important being in my life, since he is my biggest companion at home. So I, surely, hoped my friends would understand my adoration towards him and congratulate him on his birthday. So I arrived at school and, as soon as I got to talk to my friends, I told them it was my dog’s birthday. Then, my friend Naomi, who sits every single day with me and makes me hear her dramas, just rolled her eyes and exhaled a sarcastic “Okay”, as though it was no big deal. I got offended by that, and, as a very sentimental person, I asked her “Won’t you wish my dog a happy birthday?”. Then she turned to me, with fury in her eyes, and shouted: “I don’t care about your dog’s stupid birthday, okay?!”. Then everyone turned to us and laughed, “wowing” her rude attitude. I was shocked that a close friend of mine would humiliate me and my dog like that, it was like she wanted to break my good mood apart. 

After being severely hurt emotionally, I decided not to talk to her for some time, so she could notice the damage she had left me with. But it was even more hurtful seeing that she was proud of it, and kept saying that she would wish Mafe’s dog a happy birthday and bake her a cake on her birthday, just to make my dog feel bad. Some time later, I decided to forgive her, because, after all, it was a good day, my dog’s birthday.

I have never been a big fan of pet’s birthdays. Growing up with many animals, I could never remember their birthdays and being a fair person I never celebrated one and not the other. My friend Mari loves her dog (in my opinion, a little too much). I honestly feel like she would save him in an accident and leave me behind to get hit. One day in English class, I was annoyed because, well do I really need a reason when I’m in school? My friend Mari, as usual, was talking about something that I wasn’t paying attention to because I’m a serious student and was doing my work. Out of nowhere she yelled in my ear: “It’s my dog’s birthday!” and me being the amazing friend I am, dropped everything I was doing to listen. I said : “Ok” and continued working because she was distracting me. She looked me dead in the eyes and said: “Are you not going to wish him a happy birthday?”, I was confused because it’s not like her dog was there to hear me or cared If I didn’t wish him a happy birthday. I said “No” and she got all upset and proceeded to tell our neighbors what had just happened, making a bigger deal than it was. I got annoyed because she needs to understand that not everyone will care about their pet’s birthday like her. I have learned that sometimes it’s better to lie to someone to make them feel better than to tell the truth, unfortunately a bad message but a necessary one if you have friend’s like my friend Mari.

They were back and better than ever. Mari still had some damages from that day, so Naomi decided to apologize, as though it was something painful to do. However, they realized that people are different, and while Mari is more of an affectionate and warm person, Naomi is honest and straightforward. And this difference between their personality is what actually makes them best friends. So the moral of the story: accept everybody’s differences.