Someone once asked me what my most embarrassing moment was. And let’s face it, we’ve all had one. Some of us, more than one.

The moment that sticks out most in my mind came when I was a freshman in college:

A smile spread across my face as I walked out of my Freshman English class. I felt great. Class was over and I was finished for the day. I skipped down the three flights of stairs into the warm sunshine of a September afternoon. I smiled and said, “Hi” to all I passed, feeling cute and confident in my black floral mini-skirt.

I tugged at the thick straps of my backpack as I sauntered across campus to my dorm. Contemplating that day’s assignment, I was oblivious to all that was happening around me. Suddenly, pounding footsteps from behind and frantic out-of-breath words catapulted me from my reverie.

“Pull down your skirt!” a dorm-mate said.
“What?” I questioned.
“Your skirt is caught up under your backpack!” she answered.

The heat flushed over my face and coursed throughout my entire body. I reached back, and sure enough, my skirt was hitched up to my waist. Mortified, I pulled it down and rushed to my dorm. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, be enraged that only one person had the decency to tell me, or humiliated that I had just trekked clear across campus with my drawers showing!

While there are many things I learned in college, this experience taught me one of the most important: true friends are hard to find.

And I recently found myself wondering, am I a good friend?

Do I run to the aid of others, the way my dorm-mate did for me? Am I willing to say those uncomfortable words, when they need to be said? Am I dependable? Am I honest? Do I care?

Yes, I think I am and I do. Now I know there are times when I probably could have been a better friend, and I’m sure we’ve all had a lapse of judgement or two, but part of being a good friend is helping and supporting someone.

Think about it,  are you a good friend? Do you run to the aid of others? Are you willing to say those uncomfortable words, when they need to be said? Are you dependable? Are you honest? Do you care? If not, ask yourself, why? What’s the worst thing that could happen?