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| Kyidomonline |
Friendship is one of life's greatest treasures. It is built on trust, respect, appreciation, and the willingness to stand by each other, especially when it matters most. Unfortunately, not every act of kindness is remembered, and sometimes the people we help become the very ones who make us question the value of our generosity.
A few days ago, I found myself in a situation that left me deeply hurt.
I had an important academic presentation scheduled for the following morning. As a teacher and a university student, I had completed my project work and other academic documents and entrusted a friend who owns a printing press to print and bind them for me.
After he finished the work, I asked him to leave the documents at a place where I could easily pick them up very early the next morning before my presentation. His response caught me completely off guard.
He said he could not do that because I had not yet paid him. According to him, if he left the documents there and they got missing, how would he recover his money?
For a moment, I was speechless.
What made the statement painful was not simply the issue of payment. It was the fact that this same friend had once asked me for fresh fish from my fish farm. Without hesitation, I harvested healthy catfish and tilapia and gave them to him. I never demanded payment before handing them over. I never questioned whether he would pay me back. I simply helped because he was my friend.
That experience reminded me that people often remember what you owe them but quickly forget what you have done for them.
This is not about the cost of printing. Every professional deserves to be paid for their work, and I fully respect that. The issue is the absence of trust and appreciation in a friendship where I had already shown goodwill without expecting anything in return.
Life has taught me that kindness should never be given with the expectation of repayment. However, gratitude and mutual respect are qualities that keep relationships alive. When those qualities disappear, friendship begins to feel like nothing more than a business transaction.
Perhaps the greatest lesson from this experience is that we should value people, not only when we need something from them but also when they have stood by us in the past.
True friendship is measured not by words but by actions. It remembers yesterday's kindness while dealing fairly with today's responsibilities.
To everyone reading this, never take genuine kindness for granted. A grateful heart builds lasting relationships, but an ungrateful attitude quietly destroys them.
May we all learn to appreciate those who have been there for us, because one day we may need their kindness again.
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