The Spirit of Friendship

“Which is the biggest ship in the world?” This was one of the many riddles we asked our friends in class I and II, and the answer was a loud sing-song “FRIENDSHIP” with a big grin.

I was reminded of it today when I heard the theme for the month. Taking a deeper look, I find it filled with wisdom. A ship denotes a journey, a voyage, it represents safety, a haven to view beautiful vistas, a home on the rough sea. For me, friendship represents all this and more. A ship that is essential to our journey of life, the one that makes you feel safe, the one that makes you feel loved at all times, the one that believes in you when you are engulfed in self-doubt, the one that sees the beauty in you behind your dark circles, the one that has your back when the going gets tough, the one who knows your destination yet makes the journey truly fun and memorable.

Our mythologies, history, children’s books, Bollywood and Hollywood have many stories of strong friendships – between rich and poor, animals and humans, powerful and the weak. Be it of Krishna and Sudhama, Prince and the Pauper, Jai and Veeru of Sholay or Sid, Akash and Sameer of Dil Chahta Hain.

Friendship is not limited to people we meet in school and college, people we hang out with, party, and go on vacations. The spirit of friendship is what makes every relationship truly meaningful. Can you think of any relationship that you enjoy and cherish that is without the spirit of friendship? Be it with your partner, your siblings, your children, teachers, parents, or even grandparents. Devotion too is nothing but a deeper level of friendship, a safe place to be vulnerable, to love and be loved unconditionally.

The world has caught on to this spirit even in commercial space, be it user-friendly websites and apps, customer-friendly banks and stores, people-friendly organizations, airlines, gadgets, neighbourhoods, cities and even countries.. the list is endless. Everyone seems to have caught on to the buzz word – “friendly” to say, “we care”, “we hear you”, “we understand you”, “your transactions are safe with us”, “you can trust us”.

I am blessed with amazing friends. Some are for life, some are for a short time, some are older, some are

younger. There is a friend to whom I can completely vent and get a reassuring hug, while there are friends I can turn for advice, some send me their energies from afar, while there are some with whom I can play board games and have a hearty laugh and forget my troubles for a while. I once heard an analogy that friends are like different parts of a tree, few are like the  roots, some are like a trunk, and there are others that are like leaves that shed every year. It is a great analogy and one needs all kinds of friends. 

I am grateful that we humans have this unique gift of connecting with and fostering deep friendships that can last even a lifetime. Friendship is the soul in every relationship and till the soul is present every relationship will thrive. 

Written by Bilkish Tejani

Bilkish is a Relationship Enhancement Coach, Emotional Intelligence Facilitator and a Leadership Consultant. Her life mantra is “Acceptance leads to Transformation.”
She believes in the innate goodness of people. She is a reader, a seeker and a storyteller, who loves travelling and enjoys adventure activities and adventures life has to offer. 

Week 4, January 2021