Friends

I met up with Tim and his girlfriend June some time ago. It was suppose to have been to confirm an insurance policy I’m working out for June. Yeah we did cover the plan (with very ‘broad strokes’) as we downed a couple of beers. And as the evening went on, Tim began recounting the time he and I trekked the Annapurnas, and we began telling stories of our experiences there.

In the midst of it I realised how lucky I’ve been and am – to have friends. Maybe it’s age or maturity or maybe there comes a time in life when we begin to realise what the really important things are.

I’ve been so lucky to have some very dear friends all of whom have taught me valuable lessons. I’ve learnt about compassion, responsibility, love, sadness, class, style, humility, doggedness, letting go, truthfulness, forgiveness, peace…every one of life’s lessons. And though we don’t ‘hang out’; neither do we do the buddy thing often, the times spent as friends is invaluable..

We tend weave in and out of each others lives; it almost like we were travelling on different roads that once ever so often would begin to run parallel and merge for a while; and then veer off in different directions, only to meet again in time. And when we meet, it’s as if we’ve never parted in the first place. One friend who weaved out recently is Edmond, he taught me Responsibility.

Corinne taught me Love and Compassion. Adeline taught me to Face up to myself. Anand taught me Anger. Tim showed me Allowing. Karen reinforced in me the virtue of Spontaneity and the importance of Drama. Byron, who sharpened my Wit. Jeff who teaches me humility. Amarjit who taught me the value of Stability. David who reinforces my Cheekiness. And there are so many more that’ve come into my life and made it my Life.

I met up with my cousin Anand, his brother-in-law, Rag, and another friend, Kumar; the sharing that went on in that one session brought me so much joy, and healing. The experiences each of us had been trough, the though times and good times, the issues we’ve had with our parents and siblings, the experiences with the women in our lives (oh I mentioned the though times, already?) – I felt so alive and so grateful to be alive. I think it’s what living and being human is about.. yes we can have he fun and lighter moments that seem to be more of a gap filler than anything; and then we share the real important things - the ones that has brought us where we are and the ones that define us.

I’m so happy to be me and so grateful to have these people pass my way as I journey on in life. Everything’s perfect.