Friends

As we go through life we keep gathering friends. And we keep dropping friends. My experience in the latter has been more a sense of drifting apart rather than particularly stopping communication with somebody.

But the process of making friends has been fascinating. Quite often , the friendship has developed out of an instant 'connect' with the person. This is kind of propels both of us closer towards each other. Sometimes, the relationship develops slowly, getting ever deeper as time goes by. Yet other times, a good acquaintance suddenly develops into a deep friendship in a flash. I have had the intense pleasure of seeing all these types of relationships develop with my friends.

I wonder what people seek in any friendship. A lot of my friends have given me a lot without getting anywhere the same kind of reciprocation. Equally I have some friends whom I have given a lot to without getting or expecting any kind of reciprocation. There are also those with whom the give and take continues ceaselessly.

However, the one constant with all friends is that sense of timelessness, of never having lost the thread, of seamlessly continuing from where one had left off.

I think that old internet forward about the guy who swaps pieces of his heart with his friends aptly sums up the relationships I have with mine. All my friends have a piece of my heart and I have one of theirs.

I am truly grateful to all my friends for contributing so richly to my life. I would be incomplete without any of them.