FRIENDSHIP FOREVER by Krish Dhanam

FRIENDSHIP FOREVER by Krish Dhanam
The decisions you have made in your life are probably no different than mine. The ones you make after you reflect on this article are probably as significant to you as the ones I will make will be to me. The reason I chose to write about decisions under the banner of friendship is fairly simple. Regardless of the decisions and the consequences of those decisions, the friendships we have made usually do remain forever. This seems to be the one constant in lives that are separated by decades of choices. People leave their childhood surroundings and with them the memories and the people who created that foundation of innocence. Amidst that separation is the unique bond that we keep with all that was familiar. As we begin the journey of traversing to distant lands to conquer the grandeur of unfulfilled hopes, our hearts stay tethered to those friendships of a time long, long ago.
One such union caught up with me after almost 16 years. A friend I had not seen for many a sunrise called me out of the blue and told me he was going to at a meeting I was attending. He had looked at the roster of the event and upon seeing my name singled me out for some quality time. Why he chose to do this I will never know, and why he chose to rekindle a relationship with me I will never guess. All I am grateful for is that he did.
In the years since I had last seen him many things have come and gone. Many victories were won and many losses were anguished over. Career highlights and lowlights would have filled an atlas to signify the geographical vastness of one’s accomplishments and defeats. This meeting would produce renewed enthusiasm as we reminisced over the exuberance of our youth. The stories we told each other seemed more fascinating and the pranks we played on others seemed more fitting as they were strung together anew in oratorical brilliance. The lost memories of youth came flooding back and my accent found its way towards becoming distinctly Indian. This was indeed my friend forever.
How many times do we forget those who created the fondest memories? How many moments are wasted thinking about what should have been, and could have been, instead of cherishing what was and what is? Focus on what you had and use it to spark your flame of hope to start thinking about what could be. Using your friendships and the memories of yesterday as a canvas, and the experiences that were a result of those decisions as the paintbrush, paint the portrait of your legacy. This will be the testament to you having passed this way. The reminders we get from our friends validate in us more of our success than the false admiration of society. You never know when many years after you made a decision a friend will come back into your life and say, “Well done. I knew you had it in you all along. I am glad you made the choices you did.”
For whom do you make your choices? Whom do you call your friend?