In today’s busy, fast and relatively more competitive and stressful life, everybody cherishes and relishes the company of good friends. Why is it so? Actually, good friends are very special in your life who bring out the best in you; who walk in to hold your hand in troubled times when normally the rest of the world walks out; who help you to remain mentally balanced while facing either a serious criticism or an abnormal praise.
The mythological story of Lord Krishna and His poor friend Sudama has been very popular and inspirational for all generations all over the world. It is because of their true friendship which didn’t distinguish between high and low or between rich and poor. The great friendship based on mutual support, understanding and appreciation between Marie Curie, the first woman who won the Nobel Prize and also the first person to win this prize twice and that too in two different scientific fields – physics and chemistry and Albert Einstein, the renowned theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate is well-known, particularly in the scientific world. History books have thousands of such examples of friendship and it is heartening that this list is getting longer with every passing day. If you look around, you too may find one or more living examples or maybe your own friendship story is so inspiring!
William Shakespeare narrates the virtues of a true friend beautifully in these lines: “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow.” The old time-tested saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed" always reminds us of the value of having a true friend. The poem, 'True Friends' by Emily is worth enjoying at this point: “Best friends stick together till the end, They are like a straight line that will not bend; They trust each other forever, No matter if you're apart you are together; They can be your hero and save the day, They will never leave your side they are here to stay; They help you up when you fall, Your true friends are best of all.”
The old proverb: 'A man is known by the company he keeps'- in a way clearly tells us the importance of having such friends who can add and enrich good human values both during our days of prosperity and adversity. To say, in all probability, a man becomes what his friends are - if he has good company, he becomes good and vice-a-versa. Investigating agencies, in general, have been engaging their machinery to find out the who's who of the friends to know about the target person under investigation. The interesting theory behind this is that if you go and stay in a perfume shop your clothes will acquire a good smell whereas even a better man who works in a company of fish sellers, smells bad.
But, is it so simple to be blessed to have real/true friends in today's life? Surely not, because it is easier to make friends as it normally happens these days through Facebook, Instagram etc., but it is definitely not that easy to continue the friendship in the real sense of the word. In fact, true friendship demands some basic prerequisites such as trust, reliability, honesty, loyalty, patience, frankness, cooperation, mutual respect, transparency, sense of caring and sharing etc. to be fulfilled. It's not one stop deal. Instead, it is an exercise which requires time for thoughtful nurturing. I believe nobody really wants to have friends who don't have such qualities. Because everyone appreciates the views of Mahatma Buddha in this respect: "An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast. A wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend would wound your mind.’
The message is very loud and clear. To say, it is not necessary to have too many friends only for counting purposes. Here too, quality is more important than quantity. So, have an adequate number of good friends and also be a good friend yourself now and always to enjoy life individually and collectively.
As always, I'm keen to know what you think on this subject. Hence, I request you to post your comments to share your valuable opinion. (hellomilansinha@gmail.com)
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