I’ve got a friend.

He’s with me pretty much most of the time.

He even sleeps with me.

For the most part he is very helpful. He teaches me stuff. He keeps an eye out for danger or opportunity. He encourages and supports me when I take on new things.

He is very helpful when I am dealing with other people. He makes them laugh and tries to put them at ease. Although he is a bit quiet like me, he does enjoy trying to help other people.

He is pretty smart. He thinks about deep things like the universe and the meaning of life, although he probably isn’t as smart as he thinks he is. Sometimes he comes across as a bit of a know-it-all.

He’s not perfect though. Sometimes he can be a bit of an asshole. He criticises me or calls me names. Sometimes he ridicules the things I am interested in, or says I am not good enough to do the things I enjoy.

If he is angry, and he does get angry quite often, he takes it out on other people, which isn’t very nice.

He can also be a bit unpredictable. He can get freaked out for seemingly no reason, or suddenly seem to stop functioning right when I need him most.

 

Because he is always with me, I have tended to take him for granted. I’ve not always invested time and effort into looking after his needs, or paying attention to what he wants.

Sometimes I’ve ignored or abused him. There have even been times when I wished he wasn’t there.

As I’ve got older though, I’ve realised that he is going to be my friend till the end, and that I owe him the respect and care that I owe to anyone that I love.

So I’ve tried to be a better friend to him.

I know he likes to eat healthy, and get plenty of exercise (even though I can’t really be bothered with either).

I know that he likes a challenge and wants to work on and try new things regularly (even though I kinda want sit on the couch and watch Netflix)

I know that he likes to have long and interesting conversations with people about the meaning of life (when I kinda just want to be by myself).

So I’ve tried harder to make these things happen for him. I’ve tried harder to meet his needs.

And he has rewarded me as a result. He is kinder, more thoughtful and compassionate towards me. He criticises me less, and encourages me more. I reckon he’s got less angry over time.

 

I feel bad that I neglected his needs for so long, but he doesn’t seem to hold a grudge. We are getting along much better now.

He knows now that I will try to look after him and I know that he will do the same for me.