Guiding Light: A Friend In Need

When we think back to our younger days, school or even university, it leaves us feeling nostalgic. When the most onerous thing we had to worry about was studying for an exam, we now appreciate how carefree life once was! And of course the one big thing that was different was our friends, we seemed to be surrounded by them, and there never was a dearth of someone to hang out with. As we grow up, life happens and other priorities take over, often eating into the time we would invest in making friends and being with them.

Friendship is one of the truest bonds that we as humans know, with little or no expectations, and a genuine sense of fondness. And you make some of your best friends when you’re least expecting to come across them. It’s wondrous how different we are as individuals and yet when you meet someone who may be very different, you hit it off and may end up becoming best friends. We generally seek familiarity, but at some level we also seek someone to compliment our personalities and make shared experiences more wholesome.

Our culture is replete with stories of true friendship, one of the most popular being Krishna and Sudama. Childhood playmates, they were very close friends, and when as an adult, Sudama found himself in penury, his wife urged him to seek help from Krishna, who was now the King of Dwarka. When Sudama met Krishna after all those years, he was still welcomed with love and warmth, and fed the most elaborate royal feasts to the amazement of Krishna’s courtiers. Sudama was reluctant to hand Krishna the meagre gift of some puffed rice that he had brought for him, but Krishna found it and ate it with delight, thanking his friend profusely.

Sudama didn’t have it in him to take advantage of his friendship and ask for financial help, and he left with a contented heart having met his childhood friend. But when he reached home, lo and behold, his ramshackle house had been transformed into a luxurious residence, and his once-empty pantry had become an overflowing cornucopia of abundance! Even though he hadn’t uttered a word to ask for help, his childhood friend had read his mind and arranged for the help he needed anonymously. 

It’s Friendship Day tomorrow, and what a great occasion to take some time out and get together with some of your closest friends and celebrate this simple human bond that enriches our lives. And remember those that stick with you when times with the hardest are the ones you should really treasure, for you will never be short of fair-weather friends!