Last year's Friendship Day fell conveniently on a Sunday... convenient because I had the opportunity to think about the role my friends have played in my life to date. I should be an authority on the subject - "You are what your friends are" and I am proud that I turned out alright. Being a very friendly extrovert I think I had the prerequisites for being the kind of person people hang out with. Right from kindergarten, (oh yes I do remember my head being repeatedly banged against a wall by one very healthy 'friend'. I was terrified of her!) to this date, I have had at least one friend to whom I could tell everything. I am glad I do. Parents do have a hand in infusing good qualities in us and I thank my parents too for giving me the guidance in choosing good friends.
In preparatory school I hardly remember having a close friend (I think I could be excused for having greater things to think like; when mum would come and pick me up after a grueling day of learning my ABCs, going in line to the loo, putting my head on the table and sleeping for an hour!) But I can safely say that during my 1st standard through fifth, I got a whiff of bitchiness from so-called-friends which made me wary for a long time of genuine friendship. I realized that to forgive and not-forget was the best policy to maintain some sanity and have followed it since.
It all changed in high school when I entered an all-girls institution, where friendship was a serious business. There were the non-formal friendship day celebrations with friendship bands, Christ ma and Christ child games during Christmas and even the Valentines! I made my first best friend then which made school life so much pleasant and fun. However since all my friends were pretty emotional there were fights and make ups galore and not to say my letter writing skills improved tremendously as I found it to be an easy way to spill my thoughts and feelings to my friends. It’s hilarious now when I come to think of it, that our favorite question every week was – Who is your best friend? And yeah except for some solid rocks (hear hear!) like me, others were changing friends like nobody’s business. With lots of sniffles and promises to keep in touch we parted but sadly I haven’t been in touch with anybody since then. During those years I might’ve hurt quite a many friends with sheer dumbness in perception of their feelings. I became more perceptive since then.
In higher secondary there was hardly any time for maintaining friendship as they were the deciding years of our lives. Also, given that it was a co-ed institution one could excuse the lot for more worthy pursuits of the opposite sex as far as the raging hormones would allow. No body in particular stands out for me during the two years then, but I stumbled across a discovery that stands unchallenged to this day – Guys make good friends!
College was an all-girls institution so again it was like plunging into high school but armed with better understanding of people. Having friends from well to do backgrounds but who did not throw their wealth around made me humble and ultimately I realized that other’s wealth didn’t faze me. Lots of misunderstandings, rollicking-frollicking times, sweet moments marked the whole of college years. And when it was time to leave I was none the wiser and I let time and work come in between so many friends. The result was that I had precious few close friends who sent an occasional mail. I learnt too that if you allow them, people can play havoc in your personal life. The only people you could depend on were yourself and your loved one. No body could mediate where the principal parties couldn’t.
And now after taking stringent actions of slowly amassing lost friends through internet and telephone, I gaze upon my life with a fulfillment that has nothing to do with getting the perfect job or the perfect life. The life I have built for myself now is lightly tilted but it has this brilliant rainbow across it most of the times and that’s thanks to my friends. I am glad I collected all those small lessons life threw my way and stored it in my mind to be dipped into and examined when I am faced with a dilemma regarding one of my close pals. Result is – that I am what my friends are and I say that with pride!
So to you guys who have made me what I am, a big hug and a kiss for being there at different points in my life and making my life just a little better at all times. And if I am given a day to say that, what better than the FRIENDSHIP DAY. (Heck! Frankly I don’t remember to tell you all anytime in a year how much you mean to me.)
In preparatory school I hardly remember having a close friend (I think I could be excused for having greater things to think like; when mum would come and pick me up after a grueling day of learning my ABCs, going in line to the loo, putting my head on the table and sleeping for an hour!) But I can safely say that during my 1st standard through fifth, I got a whiff of bitchiness from so-called-friends which made me wary for a long time of genuine friendship. I realized that to forgive and not-forget was the best policy to maintain some sanity and have followed it since.
It all changed in high school when I entered an all-girls institution, where friendship was a serious business. There were the non-formal friendship day celebrations with friendship bands, Christ ma and Christ child games during Christmas and even the Valentines! I made my first best friend then which made school life so much pleasant and fun. However since all my friends were pretty emotional there were fights and make ups galore and not to say my letter writing skills improved tremendously as I found it to be an easy way to spill my thoughts and feelings to my friends. It’s hilarious now when I come to think of it, that our favorite question every week was – Who is your best friend? And yeah except for some solid rocks (hear hear!) like me, others were changing friends like nobody’s business. With lots of sniffles and promises to keep in touch we parted but sadly I haven’t been in touch with anybody since then. During those years I might’ve hurt quite a many friends with sheer dumbness in perception of their feelings. I became more perceptive since then.
In higher secondary there was hardly any time for maintaining friendship as they were the deciding years of our lives. Also, given that it was a co-ed institution one could excuse the lot for more worthy pursuits of the opposite sex as far as the raging hormones would allow. No body in particular stands out for me during the two years then, but I stumbled across a discovery that stands unchallenged to this day – Guys make good friends!
College was an all-girls institution so again it was like plunging into high school but armed with better understanding of people. Having friends from well to do backgrounds but who did not throw their wealth around made me humble and ultimately I realized that other’s wealth didn’t faze me. Lots of misunderstandings, rollicking-frollicking times, sweet moments marked the whole of college years. And when it was time to leave I was none the wiser and I let time and work come in between so many friends. The result was that I had precious few close friends who sent an occasional mail. I learnt too that if you allow them, people can play havoc in your personal life. The only people you could depend on were yourself and your loved one. No body could mediate where the principal parties couldn’t.
And now after taking stringent actions of slowly amassing lost friends through internet and telephone, I gaze upon my life with a fulfillment that has nothing to do with getting the perfect job or the perfect life. The life I have built for myself now is lightly tilted but it has this brilliant rainbow across it most of the times and that’s thanks to my friends. I am glad I collected all those small lessons life threw my way and stored it in my mind to be dipped into and examined when I am faced with a dilemma regarding one of my close pals. Result is – that I am what my friends are and I say that with pride!
So to you guys who have made me what I am, a big hug and a kiss for being there at different points in my life and making my life just a little better at all times. And if I am given a day to say that, what better than the FRIENDSHIP DAY. (Heck! Frankly I don’t remember to tell you all anytime in a year how much you mean to me.)
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