This is the third and last installation in my friendship blog series. I’ve greatly enjoyed examining the English language for ideas about connection and companionship over the past weeks. In my teaching life, I’ve been trying to actively engage in interpersonal relationships as a teaching strategy to facilitate learning. It has been both equally exhausting and exhilarating. Since May this year, I’ve gotten progressively out of the classroom and off of the computer to become more accessible to students on campus, in the cafe, and under the tree. I think that students do learn better when they have a personal connection to the instructor, at least at the level which I am teaching. Throughout this blog you will see many pictures of me with students and faculty at IVC to illustrate the language under consideration.

Of all the definitions of friend I have encountered, one of my favorites is “favored companion.” I believe that friendship need know no gender, ethnicity, religion, or language. Friendship can cross all boundaries. Friendship very well could be the basis on which equality, inclusion, acceptance, all the things I strive, for are built.

This song “I’ll Stand by You,” by The Pretenders is a beautiful anthem for friendship. It is my goal to be such a friend to others. This Youtube version includes the lyrics so that you can follow along.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuWAGT9ZkYE[/embedyt]

Cindy stands by Mrs. C in helping her with the supplies for the Under the Invisible Tree meeting on Fridays in the LAC.

Cindy and Mrs. C

Cindy and Mrs. C

 

 

 

Stand by Me

Susan and Mrs. C stand by each other by providing reciprocal encouragement while helping the students at IVC.

Susan And Mrs. C

My friend Sheida and I are like two peas in a pod when it comes to our love of poetry. 

Being like two peas in a pod generally means to be indistinguishable from one another. Most people think of this as physically similar, but it is possible to be similar in other ways as well. 

 

There are so many ways to find connections among friends if we only look for them!

 

 

My buddy Guy and I are like two peas in a pod regarding our fascination with science fiction stories. 

Mrs. C and the Ladies under the tree

Mina, Gahar, Shahnaz, Leili are a close knit group of friends hanging out Under the Tree with Mrs. C on Tuesday afternoons!

Being close knit is often used to refer to a family, but it can also be used for friends. When a sweater or blanket is woven or knight tightly it is hard to separate and lasts longer because it is stronger; similarly, people who are “knit” together tightly are bound together with ties of friendship based on common interests and have strong connections that stand the test of adversity and time.

Ximena and Tania are close knit study buddies in the LAC with Mrs. C!

Ximena, Tania, and Mrs. C in the LAC

 

 

Amin, Ehsan, and Mrs. C seem to be thick as thieves sitting outside the Cafe before class on Tuesday night. 

Amin and Ehsan with Mrs. C before class at the IVC Cafe

Being thick as thieves is a interesting idiomatic phrase; thieves aren’t generally trustworthy as they are breaking the law so they have to be careful to whom they share their confidential information. Thus, they only share with other thieves or friends involved in their criminal activity. This phrase then has come to be used for close friends with whom one feels comfortable sharing confidences or asking for advice. No criminal activity is actually required! (he he)

 

 

Tom and Mrs. C have been thick as thieves since they were students together back at LBCC. 

Tina and Mrs. C on the same wave length in celebrating her first editing book that came out for Fall 2017.

Tina and Mrs. C

Being on the same wave length means to share the same perspective, to come at ideas from the same angle,  or to see things in a similar same way. Often times this occurs with those from the same backgrounds, but it doesn’t have to. I find sometimes that people from wide and varied backgrounds are on my wavelength and people from my hometown are not. Sometimes we have to roam far from home to find others we resonate with; once we find those people, we should hold to them for all we are worth. 

Kathy and Mrs. C are on the same wave length about the challenge of writing in ESL 201!

Kathy and Mrs. C

Mrs. C is so grateful to have such an awesome BFF like Marwa in her life these days!

Best Friends Forever (BFF) is a relatively new phrase, originally used only by young girls to refer to one’s best friend who would be so, well, forever. However, it has become more commonly used today among woman of all ages to refer to extremely good friend. It is almost always used with the acronym BFF.

Having BFF like Randi is the most wonderful friendship Mrs. C could wish for!

Randi and Mrs. C

Friendship. It’s a sublime feature of life. It give us a place to laugh, to love, to play, to talk, to confide, to cry, to dream…

It might simply be one of the best things of being human. 

We have so many words to describe friends and the relationships between people– idiomatic language to help us explore this aspect of communication. I encourage everyone to use these idioms in this and the last two blogs not only for your linguistic knowledge but for your personal experience too.

Get out there and make some friends.

It’s scary sometimes, sure. I know. You don’t know what’s going to happen. I know. 

I sit under a tree every week. I come, I put blankets on the ground. And I wait. Every week I wonder. Will this be the week no one comes? Will this be the week I sit for an hour and a half alone under a tree? Every. Week. 

To date, it hasn’t happened. It will. It has too. Sooner or later, I will sit under a tree alone.  Nevertheless, I’m overcoming my own insecurities and need for control and letting things happens as they will. But for now,  I’m making myself available every week by reaching out.   I’m making friends.  And you know what? It’s really amazing!

Mahatma Gandhi said, “We but mirror the world. .. If we could but change our ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.” People paraphrase this by saying be the change you want to see in the world.  

 

 

I would say if you want to make friends,

first be a friend.

And you are always welcome Under the Tree!