The formation and development of friendships is one of the most gratifying parts of our lives. These relationships provide us with a safe haven of acceptance. Friends allow us to develop our identities in secure environments that lack judgement. They offer us an abundance of laughs and memories. Above all, true friends stick around when we are at our absolute worst. These friends are willing to endure the pain and suffering of their emotionally crippled friend in order to continue the friendship. True and, especially lifelong friendships, are in many cases a rare breed. I have lost many friends throughout my life. Some friendships end unexpectedly, while others bend and eventually break due to a variety of stresses. Friends whom I thought would stick around for my whole life are nothing more than a memory now. I wanted to write this article for everyone struggling with personal friendships.
One of the most influential mediums of entertainment that has come to the forefront in the past few decades is the concept of cartoons. Shows like The Rugrats, SpongeBob SquarePants and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends have taught millions of people valuable lessons. Recently, a show called Adventure Time has dominated the spotlight of western animation. One of its most heartwarming episodes labelled "Thank You" chronicles the improbable friendship between a Fire Wolf and Snow Golem. During the Snow Golem's daily hunt for food he is attacked by a pack of Fire Wolves. At the same time, Fin and Jake are fighting the Ice King because he stole their sandwiches. After the skirmish, the Snow Golem discovers that a baby Fire Wolf had been left behind. The golem wants nothing to do with the wolf but it still ends up following the golem home. After the wolf destroys part of the house the golem tosses him outside. When the wolf is attacked by a flock of birds the golem rescues the wolf and welcomes him into his home. Both creatures endured a prolonged history of hate and hostility up until that point in time. How could a creature made of fire befriend another made of snow?
Despite their initial struggles with the touch barrier, they developed a purely Platonic relationship. They were able to work around the fact that the wolf could cause pain towards the golem. They developed an emotional attachment for each other and put aside their differences. Towards the end of the episode, the golem embarks on a journey to return the wolf to his pack. The Snow Golem has to suffer through extreme heat in order reach his destination. He nearly dissipates like an ice cream cone thrown into a volcano but ends up accomplishing his mission. The wolves disregard the Snow Golem's kind gesture and chase him away. He retreats to his home bewildered and emotionally broken by the experience. However, the next morning the pack of wolves return with the same Fire Wolf. They greet the golem with open arms, and for once the raging hate between both creatures ceases. The episode ends with Jake kissing the Ice King on the cheek with him replying "Thank You.”
All of us struggle with friendships and sometimes we feel like giving up on those friendships is the best solution. In hindsight, this is the worst way to deal with our issues. We need to tackle them head on and fight until the end. Friends are like an extended family and deserve the same treatment as those intimate relationships. We all make mistakes and have problems that persist throughout our friendships. The best solution is to endure and learn from our mistakes. We need to hold our friends close to our hearts and hold onto them for as long as we can. Next time you have issues with your friends remember the hardships that the Fire Wolf and Snow Golem dealt with.
Special thanks to Luke Megonigal for the Inspiration
