Does your heart ever ache over something you’ve lost? Linda Kavelin-Popov writes.

The best friend of Mary (not her real name), one of my Araura College Virtues Club students, recently moved overseas. As with other teenage girls, finding a best friend was a huge part of her survival and happiness. Having someone to share her secrets, who was loyal in not sharing them with others, who never judged her, but was honest in confronting her when she needed it, who could empathise with her, laugh and giggle with her – that is a treasure beyond measure.

I shared the fact that I found my best friend on the first day of college. I was anxious, feeling lost in a sea of students in a large school, none of whom I knew, having just moved to that area.

“And guess what,” I said. One boy called out, “And she’s still your best friend!” “Right!” We counted the years, and it was well over a half a century. What an amazing gift, one for which I am deeply grateful.

I have noticed that these students are very aware and grateful for the virtue of friendliness and invest wholeheartedly in their closest friendships. When a best friend leaves, it’s truly heart wrenching and we need to take the time to grieve the loss while creatively figuring out how to stay in touch. These days it’s as easy as a free call on an app.

This young woman’s friend, before she left, asked if we would sometimes call her to be part of the class. Being in Australia, she said she’d be willing to get up at 5am to participate – a true commitment.

At our meetings during weekly Scripture Class time, we talk about our virtues – the qualities of soul and character that reflect the image of the Creator – both our strength and our growth virtues – the ones we show and the ones we need to grow. We do Virtues Picks using cards with quotes and wisdom from the world’s sacred traditions. The next week, we report on how we practiced that virtue.

Mary is humble enough to understand that her teachable moments are around obedience. She is practicing detachment from complaining, obedience in taking responsibility for her chores without having to be nagged, and being more pleasant and cooperative with her parents. “How is that working for you? What difference has it made?” I asked. She described a much-improved relationship and “way fewer groundings.”

At our last session, students came up with “hand haka” movements to go with a rap about the nine fruits of the spirit named in Galatians 5:22: love (hands in a heart) joy (a wide smile, hands on either side), peace (two fingered peace sign), patience (hand up waiting), kindness (open hand extended in help), goodness (finger to head thinking about doing the right thing), gentleness (one hand gently petting the back of the other), faithfulness (hands in prayer) and self-control (arms crossed holding  oneself back).

Learning these virtues and applying them to their own lives is one way to go beyond lip service when learning about one’s faith. These students at Araura College believe and know that virtues are their super-powers – the inner strength, courage and purposefulness, the faith, hope and charity to live their richest life ever.