When Tyler* first met his Friend Adrian, he was terrified of trying the monkey bars at the playground. One day, he decided to try them on his own. Later that day, Adrian picked up Tyler from the nurse’s office at school after he had fallen and hurt his arm. The first thing Tyler said when Adrian walked in was, “I almost had it! I was only one bar away from reaching the end!” Adrian recalls, “I remember thinking how brave he was for trying it on his own.”

After his arm healed, Tyler was eager to try the monkey bars again, and now he plays on them with ease.

Tyler, who is six years old, is always full of energy. Whenever he meets Adrian for an outing, he is excited to tell him about his day and friends from school, and he is always making plans for what to do on their next outing. Spending one-on-one time with his Friend is especially important for Tyler, who has six siblings. His mom works two jobs, but his family has had to move three times in the past two years due to the increased cost of living in the Austin area.

“He’s always full of life and in high spirits, though,” says Adrian. “We are always trying new things.”

For Adrian, that is what friendship is all about – trust, communication, and supporting one another. While Tyler sometimes gets nervous about change and new experiences, like having a new teacher as he starts second grade, he knows that Adrian is there to support him. Adrian knows that Tyler is bright, and he enjoys working with him on reading and math skills at school and helping with his homework.

“I hope we continue to try new things, talk about our feelings, and read more books together,” Adrian shares.

*Youth name changed for privacy