The other day, a grave day, my friend was taken ill, taken home and finally taken to hospital. We were all taken aback. Amidst the horror of the event I couldn't help but notice something quite special, quite wonderful in fact. My friends, one by one, morphed from comatose students into something resembling a fully functioning family unit. We were present at each of his hospital visiting hours with grapes, magazines and conversation of the spirit lifting variety and we had phone arounds to keep everyone informed about his well being. My anxiety for my friend was accompanied by a warm feeling that he was, I was, each one of us was part of a special little family. On reflection I realised that, although from day to day it goes unnoticed, this is how we always are. Over the three years we have spent together in York we have gradually taken our places in an elaborate family tree. Let me tell you a story….don't worry this one’s not so morbid….. Some weeks ago I and my friends decided to take a road trip. When my house mate knocked on my door at 7.30am. to tell me to get up I had the first sign that this road trip was going to take on a particular form….the form of the family day out. At the point at which we had got 5 minutes down the road and had to have a stop for some of us to buy sweets for the journey my suspicions were confirmed! On arrival at our destination the “parents” of the group told us that we were going to do a countryside walk. Much to my and the other “children” of the group’s horror we were told that we would not be “allowed” to have lunch until after we had finished the walk. My Dad’s (non-student Dad that is) favourite saying ‘hunger is the best sauce’ came hauntingly to mind! So we started out on the walk. Half of the group were in ardent marching mode, bounding over crevices and boulders like mountain goats. The other half were left getting tangled in bracken and tripping over stones. My friend and I began to whine about how we were hungry and about how pointless the walk was (I mean it really was – it was one damn big circle), whereas the others were set on completing the circuit. | "suddenly a weird thing happened…someone shouted ‘pile on’ and this clearly awakened the childish side in even the most adult of the group." | |
Tensions were mounting somewhat so we stopped for some tea (out of my totally impractical flask- kids huh!). Then suddenly a weird thing happened…someone shouted ‘pile on’ and this clearly awakened the childish side in even the most adult of the group. We all began throwing ourselves around in the bracken with abandon. We soon morphed back into our parent/child roles: the “adults” brushed themselves down and got out their maps, I, on the other hand, lost my shoe in a muddy puddle but we all felt much better. At the end of the day we climbed back into the car and utterly satisfied I (keeping up my part of the role play) slept all the way home!! So you see…me and my friends in uni really are a happy little family. Its taken three years for us to develop our special bond but now our ties are as tight as blood ties. They teach me things like a wonderful parent, they bully me like siblings, they spoil me like the cool aunty, and they're there in case of emergency like my next of kin. Of course the best thing is that since they're also my friends I get all the wonders of friendship from them also (I mean there are few families that have regular pile ons!) They say you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family….but when you choose to make your friends your own little family that’s the best choice of all! Jessica | 
