One dreary day after school, I was helping my mother cook some chili on the stove. I could smell the smoky meat cooking in the old, rusty pot. My mother slowly stirred the pot of chili as she said, “I would rather have one chili bean that tasted amazing than millions that tasted mediocre.”

   From that day forward, I knew that when choosing my friends I need to choose quality over quantity. Later that day, my mother found a website that led right back to her thoughts. “The more you hang out with people that bring you down the more you will act like them,” she said, “and I know who I taught my daughter to be.” I looked in her eyes and saw the pain that her friendships brought her in the past. From this point forward, nothing would change my mind about my belief. Teens should choose their friends carefully.

    When I was thirteen years old, I went to one of my friends birthday party. These friends were very inconsiderate and made many bad decisions. They would bully others and not put effort into their education, which is everything I am against. This led me to making a decision I would regret for the rest of my life. All of the us were sitting at their picnic table outside and one of the girls said something very disrespectful to the rest of us. I thought when you come to another's person’s house show them some respect. I looked into her eyes full of disgust and I couldn’t hold back my inner hate I was trying so hard to keep in. I yelled, “Don’t you realize nobody really cares about you! Everyone here is just playing you about being their friend! Go get a life!” The moment I said it I regretted it.

   She said, “I will never forgive you for what you said to me. I may act friendly, but I will always carry around the pain you brought me this day.” That second I felt like I have gone against everything I have ever learned from my parents and my soul was crushed. I sunk into the lawn chair as I felt the tears run down my face. This taught me that I need to place myself around others that are good influences. This will help me in the future because I will always think before I act and not place myself in situations like this one again.

   When I was in the seventh grade, I started hanging out with more uplifting friends. The one one thing I will never forget is when my friends said to me, “Do not hold on to the past. You need to be the loving, caring person you have always been and don’t ever look back.”

   Every time I walked past a mirror, I saw a happier me. I never thought I deserved to have a good life until I started making a new life and surrounded myself with great people. At school I had more confidence in myself which allowed me to be a loving and caring friend back to them. After a few months, I started to see everything in my life to change. I had a better personality and better relationships with my friends and family. I used to doubt everyone if I could really trust them, but I know I can. I felt like I always used to be mad and yell at any body that cared about me, but I regret because I love and care for them as well, they just couldn’t realize it. This is very important because I can be myself around my friends and my family.

   When I was eight years old, I had a very grateful and kind friend that was thoughtful and kind. No matter the circumstances she always would work on classwork with me and play with me during recess. One day her family had to move again because her father is in the military and he was stationed somewhere else. She didn’t show up for about a week of school and my mother told me what happened. I felt hopeless for a while at school because she was my only friend I had. Then a few weeks later I started hanging out with some so called “friends.” This group of friends ended up making fun of everything about me. They constantly said to me with disgust, “You better change or you’re not going to a part of this group.” So, in the end, I did change because I had no one else, and it was the worst decision of my childhood. This has taught me to be careful about who I hang out with for the wellbeing of my own personality and staying true to myself.

   Overall, friends should be chosen carefully by all teens. My mother simple doesn’t have many friends, but the ones she does have bring her much happiness in this world. I have learned from many experiences of mine and my parents that I need to choose my friends in mind of myself, not others. I know what big of an impact friendships have on your personality based off my brother. My brother, Zachary, is one of the most respectful and kind person I know. This is simply because he is surrounded by the same type of people. I want to become a great person to be around and in the future I know this is how to achieve this.