The Courage to Help:

A Story of Friendship and Action

In the quiet halls of St. Benedict’s College in 1971, I learned one of life’s most profound lessons: sometimes, the greatest act of friendship is simply paying attention and having the courage to act. I was in grade 10 with my close friends, preparing for general certificate exams. Among them was Richard, a usually cheerful boy whose sudden withdrawal from our group became impossible to ignore.

Where once stood a bright-eyed student with an engaging smile now sat a shadow of himself, often lost in distant thoughts, his gaze fixed on the roof. The transformation was stark and troubling. While others might have dismissed these changes as teenage moodiness, something in me recognised the signs of more profound distress. Perhaps it was my own past experiences that made me more attuned to the silent signals of suffering.

The decision to approach Richard came naturally, though the conversation that followed was anything but easy. In a corner of our classroom, away from curious eyes, he confided in me about the abuse he was enduring at the boarding school. The tears in his eyes spoke volumes about the weight he had been carrying alone. I promised to help without hesitation, though I had no clear action plan.

Sometimes, the path to helping others isn’t immediately apparent, but that shouldn’t stop us from taking the first step. After careful consideration, I realised that the most effective way to help Richard was to inform his mother. Following my instincts, I rode my bicycle through multiple suburbs to reach his home, driven by the simple yet powerful conviction that friends help friends, regardless of the distance or difficulty.

That day, the conversation with Richard’s mother in her kitchen was one of the hardest I’d ever had. Yet, it set a chain of events that would ultimately rescue Richard from his situation. His parents took immediate action, removing him from the boarding school and confronting his abuser. Though Richard faced challenges catching up with his studies over the next two years, he eventually overcame these obstacles and rebuilt his life.

Looking back, I realise that helping others often doesn’t require grand gestures or elaborate plans. Sometimes, it simply takes recognising when something isn’t right, having the courage to ask difficult questions, and being willing to act when answers demand action. As young people, we possess an innate sense of justice and a natural inclination to help our peers. This instinct and the courage to act can profoundly affect someone’s life.

The experience taught me that we are never too young to be someone’s defender and never too inexperienced to make a difference. Though I didn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of my actions then, I now understand that helping others is less about having all the answers and more about being willing to stand beside someone in their darkest moments.