Friendship

I finished reading E.B. White's Charlotte's Web last year. I enjoyed the story and E.B. White's elegant writing instantly. Yet it was after I listened the audio book for several times, I started to think about the friendship between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider.

It is obvious that Charlotte is a good friend to Wilbur. Charlotte comforted Wilbur when he was lonely and worried about his future. She wrote words on her webs and saved Wilbur's life. But I can't help myself thinking that Wilbur seems not good enough for Charlotte. He received love and loyalty from Charlotte. But what has he ever done for Charlotte? Is he good enough to be Charlotte's friend?

Looking back to my friendships with my friends, especially those from college, I feel myself playing the role of Wilbur. I am often the younger, childish, and less mature one. My friends take care of me as big brothers or sisters loving their little sister. I feel I receive more than I give. I don't feel I deserve all their love. I wonder whether they ever think I am a burden for them.

I guess that is also what was on Wilbur's mind when he asked Charlotte (in Chapter 21 Last Day):
     Why did you do all this for me?  I don't deserve it. I've never done anything 
     for you.
Charlotte answered:
    You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my 
    webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're 
    born, we live a little while, we die.
    A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping 
    and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a 
    trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.

What a beautiful answer Charlotte gave to Wilbur! I do hope that is what my friends think about our friendship. As being a Charlotte for me, they lift up their lives trifles.

In our friendships, we sometimes play the role of Wilbur, the one receiving love, sometimes play the role of Charlotte, the one giving love. But that is not important. After all, being a friend to each other in itself is the tremendous thing for the friendship.