When I Chose Peace Over Anger

One time at school, I fought with my best friend during a group discussion about our basketball strategy. I argued that strong defense was the key to winning; however, he insisted that offense was more important. At first, it was only a disagreement, but soon our voices grew louder and harsher. We stood up, glaring at each other, our bodies tense like two angry cats with twitching tails, ready to fight. The classroom fell into silence, and if the teacher hadn’t stepped in, things might have ended badly. 

Both of us wanted to be right. I was really angry because my thoughts and ideas were rejected, and I thought, “He never listens to me. He thinks he’s always right. I don’t want to talk to him anymore!” But then a quiet voice in my head whispered, “Maybe he’s just having a bad day. Don’t lose your friendship over a small fight.” That night, I kept thinking about what to do. I remembered all the fun times we had and how much I cared about our friendship. In the end, I chose to listen to the better angel in me. 

The next day, I went to him and said sorry. To my surprise, in that moment, it felt like time had stopped, and we both stood stunned. His soft eyes broke the silence, and he said sorry, too. We talked, understood each other better, and became even closer friends. I felt happy that I had chosen peace over anger. It made our friendship stronger than ever. 

I realized that good communication is important when people have different opinions, because it clears up misunderstandings and makes it easier to solve problems. From this experience, I learned that true friendship is not about always agreeing—it’s about choosing to listen, forgive, and hold on to each other even after the fight. 

Josh is an 8th grader at Li Ren International School in Taipei. An avid reader and lover of stories, he enjoys exploring different perspectives and, at this young age, has already begun experimenting with different prose styles.