The song “Puraani Jeans” hummed somewhere distant. A smile that crossed my lips made my husband on driver seat curious. “What is it unexpectedly?”, he quipped. “Listen that song”; the hostel scenes came to my mind. The memories with friends create the freshness in thoughts even today, after many years.
Friendship is such a beautiful relation. It can go beyond the hierarchies of age, boundaries of societal statuses, categories of sex. This one relation engulfs in itself the joy of sharing, excitement of dreaming, sense of growing and intimacy to the depth of soul. A friend is someone with whom we can open up all our fears, doubts and anxieties without the worry of being judged. Across lifetime, we keep moving and hence meeting new people. This can lead to new friendships in the different phases of life. Some old ones may also get lost in the journey of life. However just a trivial connection with old buddy can rekindle the same spirits.
Friendship is in-fact not a distinct relation but somehow present in all relations in its own form. The parent and child grow into friends with age. As parents grow older and children become youth, they start sharing the feelings beyond hesitations. Precisely, every parent child relation should grow like that. This allows the parents to shed their long-held baggage and burdens that life would have forced upon them. The children can help their parents to build new perspectives. This can happen when both allow each other to move out of the strict parent-child domain. Genuine friendship needs space to grow. Space that is beyond the individual interests and ego.
Just like the parent-child relation friendship is always sought and admired in the mentor-mentee, teacher-student, husband-wife, sibling associations. In the garden of life, with different relations as flowers, friendship is the fragrance in all of them.With technology there are so many ways to stay connected with friends. However, it still needs effort. And one should never stop making friends near him. The real connections are most critical to keep us happy and balanced. Human is by nature a social being. He loves to be part of collectivity. Solace can be his choice at times but not always. He longs for connections that are real and present. To share, care and create memories with.
Life comes with its own hardships and demands. But it should not limit our ability to bond and create friendships. Friendship does not need a structured environment to bloom. It can erupt anywhere like that wild flower in wilderness. You just need to cautiously observe it and nurture it. The beauty and fragrance of this flower can enthrall your heart beyond your imaginations.
Just open your heart, shed the judgements; just like kids.