Before coming to Hope College, where I am now a sophomore, I never could have imagined some of the incredible things that would happen to me during my time here. Out of all of these things though, the one I think that has been the biggest blessing to me, and the one that I am most thankful for, are the friends that I have made here.
Before Hope I had plenty of friends but none that I felt close to. In high school I never had friends that I talked to and really knew. I never had friends that I cared about so deeply or knew that they loved me just as much. Of course I cared for my friends in high school but the love I feel for my friends here at Hope is a different kind of friendship. At the start of my freshmen year I was blessed to meet six incredible men whom have since become more than just my closest friends, they are like brothers to me.
The reason I am so thankful for them is because I know that no matter what, they will always be there for me. They care about me, and we care about each other very much which is something that I mentioned I did not always feel from my friends in high school. I look up to them greatly. They are such incredible men of faith and integrity. They lead by setting a perfect example of how I want to be as a person. And they are just straight up goons. I love them. We have so much fun together. Whether it is getting a ride to Grand Rapids, being dropped off and walking back to Holland (which we actually did, ask me about it sometime!), messing around playing basketball, or just sitting around having a man chat, I am always so grateful every time I am reminded of them and how big of a blessing in my life they have been. By the way, a man chat is when we all sit down and just share about the three G’s- girls, God and garbage. These are my favorite moments because we all trust each other enough to be open and vulnerable with one another and it is because of this that we have all grown so close.
I really do know that my life would be completely different without these people in it. I am so thankful for my friends because they have always been there to support me, will always care for me, and they are always there to crack a joke at my expense but I love them for it all the same.
I hope that this blog finds you all well and as you step into this holiday season that you will be able to see all the incredible blessings in your life as well! Have a great rest of your day and don’t forget to tell your friends how much you love them.
Eric D
CA Co-Director
