Frog and Toad Celebrate Friendsgiving 

By Sofia Psolka
Web Content Contributor 

The season of thanks is upon us, no matter how badly Target and Walmart want to convince you otherwise. Right before you turn on your radio or plug in some AirPods to blast Mariah Carey’s greatest, most nauseating hit, take a moment to remember all the things you’re grateful for (like being financially stable enough to have a car and a pair of AirPods.) Though Thanksgiving is mainly focused on family, don’t forget all the friends in your life! As the saying goes, a good friend is hard to come by. So, before or after you feast with family, take some time to plan a Friendsgiving celebration. 

I’ve recently reflected on my friendships and how much I care about every one of them.  In my children’s literature course, we revisited Lobel’s iconic BFF duo with the four-part series’ second installment: “Frog and Toad Together”. If there’s one thing everyone knows about Frog and Toad, it’s that they are friends. Arnold Lobel’s heartwarming tales of the anthropomorphic Frog and Toad, have touched hearts for over five decades. As an adult looking back on the stories I read countless times in my childhood, the themes of friendship resonate more than they ever did before. 

My favorite part of the book is the last story called “the Dream”. Toad is dressed in Shakespearian fashion, preparing to show off his impressive set of talents for an audience of one: Frog. Toad goes on to play piano, walk a tightrope and dance—each time calling out “Hey Frog! Can you do this?”— until he can no longer see Frog in the audience. By the end of his performance, Toad is distraught by the absence of his friend. Then he wakes up, with Frog at his side. Toad says that he’s glad Frog came over to which Frog replies “I always do”. 

There are a lot of lessons we can take away from this story, like don’t be an egregious show-off, but mainly that good friends will be by your side, ready to offer reassurance, when you’re most frightened of losing them. There’s no need to prove how cool you are in front of them. It goes without saying! Why else would they be friends with you?  

Lobel wanted to share Frog and Toad as a model of a healthy relationship (which can be analyzed with different lenses) and it’s undeniable that Frog and Toad, at the very least, were two good friends.  

It’s so easy to set aside our friendships and forget to nurture them. Sometimes we get too busy with school, work or other obligations and our friendships get strained and ultimately drift apart. So, here’s your reminder to send a text to that person you had a good conversation with in the coffee shop a couple of days ago, call your best friend you haven’t spoken to in a few months and plan a Friendsgiving dinner with your college friends. 

Like Toad does in “The List”, add, “make time for so-and-so”. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Stay safe over the break and eat a hearty meal! God knows we haven’t had one in a while.