ESSAY DIVISION: 8TH GRADE - THIRD PLACE
TEACHER: GAYLE PAI, DAMIEN MEMORIAL SCHOOL

A Friend in Need 

Approximately 30% of people in the world die from depression due to being alone. Clarence T.C. Ching had affected the lives of others through acts of kindness, like sharing his wealth with his family. You can have this same affect even if it’s not on a grand scale like that by simply talking to someone. There are so many people out in the world who feel alone and hopeless because they have no one to talk to, and Hawaii is no different.  My friend had reached out to me about her well-being and how she was struggling with her mental health.  Through my simple act of offering support, I was able to turn her life around.  I would like to share about how I was able to help her, how she benefited from me being with her through her toughest times, and how you can help others. 

In the midst of my sixth grade school year, I noticed my friend had been acting differently. With her grades dropping and her self-esteem lowering, I knew she needed to get back on track. How I was able to help her purely consisted of me being her mental support to get her back on track. I reassured her that if she needs to get things off her chest, the best way is to talk through it instead of taking it out on herself. From there, she slowly transitioned to consulting me for help instead of being down in the dumps, alone, and hopeless. My act of kindness was to put the right efforts to give someone hope.  

            My friend tremendously benefitted from my act instead of her resorting to inflict self-harm. My efforts to stop her increased majorly which caused her to change her mindset and lifestyle. After reassuring her that she was not going through any of her emotions alone, she leaned on me for support. I was able to help her become much happier. With this new motivation, she proceeded to go on and win school awards, like “Student of the Month” and editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Knowing she had someone to lean on, gave her strength both mentally and physically. She gained the self confidence to become a positive contributor to her school.

            If someone you know is going through a hard time, here is how you can help out. Asking them simple questions like “how are you?” or “how’s your day been?” can really help someone feel good or special knowing that someone cared. Giving people attention to let them know they aren’t alone can help tremendously. Also, offering to help others with things can be a huge relief as well. Mental health issues affect people everyday. Giving people extra bits of care and concern allows them to focus on themselves, which is a huge step of changing their mindset.

            Whenever you know someone is going through a tough time, let them know they aren’t alone. Comforting someone can be one of the most effective, yet simplest acts anyone can do. These are a multitude of ways to perform an act of kindness just like Mr. Ching has done especially with providing affordable housing through Kukui Gardens.  I’m sure that development was a great relief for 389 families in 1970.  Although I cannot benefit my community in a huge way like him, I am able to provide a shoulder to lean on which can be done by anyone. How I was able to help my friend, how she benefitted from my support, and how you can help someone were all examples of how I was there for someone when no one else was, and it is also something anyone can do for others. With the right efforts, you can change someone’s life by being their support.