In my narrative, I wrote about the differences between my friend and I that caused us to drift apart. Even though we belonged to the same religion, the factor that caused problems in our friendship was the difference between the way we practiced our religion. I was more practicing than her and the fact that she did not have the same beliefs as me caused me to distance myself from her. The problems in our friendship are similar to the ones between Ronit and Marissa in “Ascending Borders.” Ronit and Marissa were both immigrants and belonged to the same religion, Judaism. These factors brought them together, just like they brought me and Maya together. Even though the problems in their relationship were caused because of political difference, I found their story similar to mine. …show more content…
Therefore, having a friend that was also Muslim was really important to me. I felt like they would understand me no matter what. The line in the book, “Ascending Borders” that I can relate to is when the author says, “I remember walking back together from a service, vigorously debating the relative merits of a certain water polo player’s broad chest versus his vacuous brain, and sliding with sudden ease into a sensitive discussion of how it felt to be an immigrant in this country.” (Handler, 88-89) This reminded me of when Maya had told me that she was a Muslim as well. Unlike me, she did not wear the religious headscarf so one could not assume her religion. When she told me, I felt happy and decided to become closer friends with her. After reading about Ronit and Marissa’s differences, I realized that things such as political views and in my case, religious beliefs are important in a friendship because if you have a completely opposite opinion or belief than your friend, especially if it is a big part of your life, it can be hard to continue being friends with them. In the poem “It Is So Often Easier Not To Speak,” the verse that reminded me of my friendship with Maya