Ever since my sister and I were kids, my parents have always told me to stick up for her no matter what because no matter what she will always be my best friend. As I went on in life I learned that I should not just stick up for my best friend, but that I should stick up for all my friends. I ran on the field and called Esther, She was been bullied by an older guy. The guy picked her up and threw her down on the ground. At that moment the rest of the boys and I were extremely mad. I didn't even care what she did, Mark Listen, who was also on the field, went up to the guy who threw Esther down and hit him right in the chest. Mark's stick broke and he came running off the field and told me to go hit that kid as hard as I could and tell him that if he messes with Esther he would have to deal with us all. That is exactly what I did and the guy got scared and ran away. This is just one of the many moments that I have stood up for my sister knowing fully well she is a trouble maker. Over the years, I've realized that friends are some of the most important people in your life, and you must always stand up for them, and that they should do the same for me.
Whatever your friends require, you should always be available to advocate for them. The finest thing you can do for anyone, especially your friends, is to prioritize them. When you defend your friends, you must not be selfish. I was afraid that if I walked up and attacked that boy, who was much bigger than me, he would do the same thing to me that he did to Esther. However, as I rushed towards the enormous defenses, I didn't care what happened to me; all I knew was that I needed to teach this boy a lesson about not messing with my sister. Whatever is said or done to your friends, you must always be there for them and defend them. You need to keep excellent friends in your life, and the best way to do so is to always stand up for them. You can't stand by and watch someone insult harm or disrespect your friends. Because if you do, your friends will allow others to treat you horribly as well.
We weren't going to allow that boy to get away with what he did to Esther. Esther is my sister, but she is also a friend of ours. People who treat their friends poorly are not tolerated by their friends. Mark and I didn't allow the boy to treat Esther that way, and we made it clear to him as well. Mark and I had trust in each other and knew that if somebody attempted to pull that type of crap on either of us or our friends, we would not only have each other's backs, but also the rest of our friends' backs. I had faith in Mark, and he had faith in me. Treat your friends well, and they will return the favor.
I've learned through the years that if you trust your friends and stand up for them, they will do the same for you in the future. If you are kind to your friends and constantly stand up for them, they will reciprocate. If you do everything you can for a friend, they will do everything they can for you. Later in the season, I was pulled out of a game because this boy was always cursing. I was furious because there was still a quarter to go and we were down by one. Mark approached me and said he was going to strike the boy as hard as he could. That boy wasn't saying anything a few minutes later because he was on the ground. I've never seen somebody beat someone else that hard. Even if you didn't witness the hit, you certainly heard it. Mark beating that boy sounds really unpleasant. If you have your friends back, they will have yours as well. And I discovered it that day in Colorado.
Always prioritize others above yourself. Even if those people aren't your friends, doing things for them and standing up for them might help you develop new ones. The finest thing you can do is to stand up for your friends no matter what. It benefits them and, in the long term, it benefits you. Would you want a friend who does not speak for you? Would you defend someone who has never defended you?