Describe a time when you cheered someone up

I'd like to talk about a time when I cheered up my best friend, Malika, after she failed her driving test for the second time. It was about a year ago. She had been practising for months, and she'd been very confident, so when she called me that afternoon, I could tell by her voice that she was completely down in the dumps.

She said that she felt like a failure and was never going to drive. I could have told her not to worry, but I knew from experience that this doesn't help much. So I simply asked if I could come over. I bought her favourite chocolate on the way and arrived at her flat within half an hour. At first, I just listened while she explained exactly what had gone wrong: she had been so nervous that she'd forgotten to check her mirror at a crossroads.

After a while, I tried to lift her spirits. I reminded her of things she'd achieved despite being scared, like her presentation last year, and told her about my uncle, who failed the same test four times before he passed. I also suggested we go for a walk in the park and then watch a comedy film in the evening. By the time we finished the film, she was laughing out loud.

I felt really glad that I'd been there for her. It showed me that you don't need clever words to help someone. Often, what people need most is company and a bit of patience. She passed on her third attempt, by the way, and she took me for a ride to celebrate.