Your Lennie

Think of someone who you have known most of your life; someone who is close to your age; your best friend or blood brother/sister; you have always protected each other. Then your friend is in a terrible accident. He/she now has some brain damage. He/She can still do most things; but he/she forgets things; acts very childlike (not childish). Still looks up to you for friendship and protection. Your other friends make fun of him/her and tell you to drop him/her as a friend. Would your friendship end? Why? Why not? How do you protect him/her from the cruelty of society? Can you? Why or Why not?

 If it were indeed my good friend and brother who was injured and has procured irreversible brain damage from the accident, then my friendship with him would continue; it would be a disgrace to myself and to him if I left him. Granted, our relationship would become more stressed and we probably would lose the closeness we had in the past, but I wouldn't desert him for what he has become/who he is. It would feel immoral to do so. Peer pressure wouldn't play a part in my situation; I don't think my friends (who I consider my true friends, I mean) are so cold and cruel. I would understand why they would probably distance themselves slightly, but I don't see why anyone would "drop" their relationship with him. Everything revolves around having patience. It's a hard fruit to bear, and it's understandable that people have different limits when it comes to handling the pressure of maintaining such a relationship.

Despite all this, I don't know if it is my role to protect him from the cruelty of society, as I think it would be arrogant and superior to claim responsibility. Not only this, but protection of an individual from the outside world usually ends in failure. Strict, conservative parents (like the pastor/church parents of some of my old friends) fail because their attempts to "protect" and shield their children fail miserably and invokes rebellion and conflict. In the same way, I can claim responsibility and care for my friend only so much.

To claim full responsibility is not my role: it is the role of his family, and ultimately I can't do too much for him. If it is obvious that he is alone and has no one to care for him, and I have prayed and know in my heart that it is my purpose to care for him, then so be it. However generally speaking, I will not claim full responsibility, and will only help him as much as my jurisdiction allows me to (though I will try to do everything to the extent of my power).