People come and go. Love come and go. Friendships also come and go. But the ones I treasure most are the ones that trigger my growth and understandings.
My friends and relationships range from an 3 year old boy named Brahni to an 80 year old Mongolian professor. They span across age, time and space. I don’t have to see them all the time. I don’t have to spend a lot of time with them. But when I do, they add something into my life, inspire my being and get me fulfilled.
They don’t always tell me all the good and beautiful things in life, but also all the misery and journey. They challenge my thoughts and behaviors. Some are honest. Some lie and hide things. Though honesty can hurt, I respect and appreciate their honesty and openness. Yes, we can even argue and fight and hurt each other without meaning to. Yet, we come to an understanding, forgive each other and fall in love back with each other. In that journey, we add value into each others life and make the friendship even stronger.
I have made friends. I have lost friends. It is all part of this journey – learning about me and about life.
The toughest lesson I have about friendship and any relationship is truly to see it as a lent gift. I am not given the friendship, I am lent. At any time, this friendship can be taken away from me. At any time it can go away. I have no right to hold on to it. And when I see relationship from this point of view, I give them the freedom to do whatever they want and for me to treat each moment shared with them with such respect, love and gratitude. I am not attached to the relationship. I let go of all expectations from that friendship. Yet I know, anytime I need or want a friend, a random stranger I meet down the street can fulfill that yearning.
With this, the whole world is my friend – better, my best friend – because I learn and discover new things from each of them. How can I be so selfish and close-minded to only call certain people “my friend” or “my best friend” when God has given me the whole world.
So, my lesson. For me not to get attached to the idea of love, friendship or even relationship, but to see, discover and appreciate the love, friendship and relationship each person brings into my life at each moment.
I thank you each and one of you who I have encountered in my life, people who have loved me, hated me, or just plain strangers – because you’ve taught me one of the greatest lesson in life.