Who doesn’t have a friend that has been there for them through good times and bad? Like in Elie Wiesel’s “Night”, the young boy collides with several people who stick with him through his terrible time in the concentration camp, like his father Shlomo, and the twins Tibi and Yossi. Almost everyone has a friend similar to these, and the heart-breaking, end-of-the-world times are the ones that bring such relationships closer together. Truly, difficult times help people form lifelong friendships, and strengthen the relationships that one might already enjoy.

Difficult times often form friendships that last a lifetime, or two. A perfect but fictional example of the tough-as-nails bond that difficult times form is the one Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi share. The pair enjoy a relationship that truly is truly mystical and wild, and was formed when the younger Luke was at one of his lowest points. When the misguided teenager by the surname of Skywalker wandered into a two-sun drenched desert to find his runaway robot, he ends up indebted to Obi-Wan for saving his life after a group of sand people catch him unawares and viciously knock him unconscious. When young Skywalker returns to his Aunt and Uncle’s small sand hut he finds his home destroyed, nothing more than a flaming pile of rubble, with the charred corpses of his beloved Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen laying in the yard. When he feels almost crushed by sorrow, the bright light of Obi-Wan’s friendship and mentoring provides solace from this tragic disaster. Far from the sun soaked desert world known as Tatooine, there are other ways that difficult times form iron-clad relationships. For example, when someone seeks out a new-found friend to help guide them in the face of looming despair. Most people realize that a friend who wants to help when they are at their worst is a friend they should keep around. As such, people together during difficult times often form friendships that prove to be tougher than diamonds, long of life, and as enjoyable as gazing at the stars on a clear, cool night.

However, just as difficult times form friendships they also strengthen the relationships that people already enjoy with others. Being somebody’s immovable rock when the tides of life are battering that person’s will to be happy can strengthen relationships an indescribable amount. A wonderful example of this is when a person consoles a morose acquaintance at their dear loved one’s funeral. Being the one to provide a person comfort in a time of dire need can expose both parties to the gold of their respective hearts, and show them how beautiful their relationship truly can be. This is when genuine friendship is formed. On a different note, even grueling, gruesome, and grave fighting can strengthen those relationships that truly have the potential to succeed. Simply put, when a couple find themselves bickering, often times the harsh blows of each other’s words strip away all the pretensions and faults that led to this most lowest point. Truly, difficult times build up relationships just as much as the situation tries to tear those unions apart.

In conclusion, difficult times do not always destroy relationships, but often times form a sort of trial-by-fire, out of which comes relationships that are not only healthier than they were before but also much stronger.