That one phone call that changed me

Today i received a phone call from a friend's mother.

In my world, this is normal. Quite frequently, some family members of my friends would ring me to advise their child/sibling. But for whatever reason, this phone call that i received today gave me that epiphany-- that being a friend isn't merely about being a companion.

Friends aren't just about being there to fill your loneliness or accompany you in times of despair. Being a friend carries its own weightage as well: responsibilities. Alhamdulillah, in my case, a satisfying number of friends' families trust me enough to take care of their child. Some of them can easily get permission to go out when my name is dropped. But when you look at it from a different perspective, this also means that i am being entrusted to take care of the well-being of their child.

When i received that phone call today, it got me thinking to myself. "Why would you pick me of all people to advise your child? What right or power do i have over them?" Influence. Being a friend, you have that influence over your friend that not anyone can simply possess. Your friend trusts you enough to believe and follow whatever you say. And sometimes, this amount of influence triumphs even their own families' influence. And this influence comes with a baggage: responsibilities. You have that power to guide her to the better or right down to the worse. 

So being a friend isn't just a free ride for you to come and go as you wish. It's more powerful than you think. Use that power wisely.