Throughout my life, there have been few things more valuable to me than friendship. My friends have cheered me up when I felt down, brought me from tears to laughter, and helped me to feel a sense of self-worth. Each friend is special, and has had a significant impact on my life. Yet, there are a few incidents that stand above the crowd, one of these being the day I felt true forgiveness.

When I was in sixth grade, I had a best friend I would do everything with. We would play in the mud, make up stories, and stay up into the unholy hours of the night drawing and sketching make-believe characters. A few months into our friendship, we got into a huge fight over my religious beliefs that lasted weeks. It was my first fight I ever had with a friend, and I remember how much it devastated me. Living up to my childish nature, I was prideful and refused to apologize for the fight I started, but felt alone and severed from friendship. Eventually, we both couldn't stay mad at each other, and went back to being friends as if it had never happened; however, I'll never forget what it was like to feel friendless. Even for a little sixth grader, it was a dark time filled with hours of crying, and no friend to confide in.

A couple years after the incident, that same friend and I were outside playing in the mud, even if we were a little too old for it. We sat side-by-side, relaxing and laughing as we submerged our feet in the sludge. Suddenly, the conversation turned from jokes to a more serious matter, and I felt compelled to bring up our argument. Although it happened a couple years back, I apologized for my past self, and for how easily offended I had been. Time had healed our wounds, but I still felt awful for inflicting them. After expressing these feelings to her, I'll never forget her response.

"It's okay, just water under the bridge," she said.

Immediately, I felt a warm, happy feeling cascade over my heart. I rested my chin on my knees and smiled down at the mud, my soul filled with peace. My friend truly harbored no hard feelings towards me, and it made me incredibly grateful for her companionship.

That summer afternoon, I experienced my first vivid memory of forgiveness. At age eighteen, I still reflect back on that day, and remember how wonderful it feels to be forgiven. Because of that experience, I feel I am more considerate of others, and I try not to judge them based on past experiences. To this day, I am so grateful for that special friend, and the lesson she taught me about forgiveness. Thankfully, through forgiveness, regrettable actions of the past can just be "water under the bridge."