For 2011 we are going to focus on 52 weekly prompts instead of daily prompts. Each week we will have a ‘focus’ so that each day we can dig a little deeper instead of jumping all over the place in our writing.

WEEK TWO

This week I want you to focus on the word ‘Friend’ and fully understand what it means to reflect.

Webster’s dictionary defines this word like this:

friend >noun
1.....a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations
2.....a familiar or helpful thing
3.....a person who supports a particular cause or organization
4.....(friend) a Quaker

PHRASES: a friend in need is a friend indeed
PROVERB: a person who helps at a difficult time is a person to be relied upon
DERIVATIVES: friendless >adjective friendship>noun
ORIGIN Old English, related to free

While reviewing this word I was struck by how limited my use of the word friend was. The phrase is heard so often that it fills ones mind that I hardly went out of that meaning. I realized that this word is a great source of expanding vocabulary.

Monday. . .Let us start simple. Ponder your circle of friends. Can one be a ‘friend’ without having true friendship? When I looked at my circle I noticed that many I called friends I really had no bond with, I just knew them. Write today about your circle of friends.

Tuesday. . .Today we are going to explore what a true friendship looks like. Write down your definition of a true friendship. How well does it match up with the first definition of friend?

Wednesday. . .Friend is a familiar or helpful thing. What does this mean? Consider those ‘things’ that are helpful to you. Construct different sentences using the word friend to show the connection. Now look at your life and write about how a friend is someone who helps or is familiar.

Thursday. . .Let’s think about causes and organizations you belong to. Why would these items be considered ‘friends?’ What do your causes and organizations say about you as a person and you as a friend?

Friday. . .The last definition threw me a little. When I think of a Quaker I do not think of a friend. Do some thinking on this last definition. Any ideas? Share them with me and I will post them so we can all see different answers.

Saturday. . .On Saturday I like to discover new things. Go somewhere new today and look at the people and things around you. Write a short story about an example of a ‘friend’ that you saw today. This story does not have to be about people, just about friendship.

Sunday. . .take the day off. Enjoy your friends. Rest and get ready for next week!

Keep Journaling