‘Friendship is the quiet magic that makes ordinary days feel special!’
Perhaps, one of the most beautiful relationships you can make in your life is friendship, something millions crave.
‘Many have friends for different periods in life, but only a few have the same friend throughout life.’
Friendship isn’t just about eating momos or having coffee together; it’s about feeling safe, understood, and accepted with all your skills and flaws. A true friend is someone who speaks and listens without judgment, and stands by you in good and bad times. Aristotle once said, ‘Friendship is a single soul living in two bodies.’ Similarly, Rumi, a famous poet, wrote, ‘Be with those who help your beings.’ A deep friendship feels like you are connected emotionally. Let’s look into what makes this human bond special, sprint through some famous friendships in history, and discuss how friendship has changed in the digital world.
The Beauty and Benefits of Friendship
Friendship is like a lighthouse in the storm, like how Tarak Mehta is for Jethalal in the popular TMKOC universe. Whether it be helping each other pass exams and completing assignments during childhood, or going for morning walks in old age, friendship is a place to rest our worries. Studies show that friendships reduce stress, boost resilience, and improve physical health. People with close friends tend to live long and happy lives.
The beauty of friendship is that it never fades away. Instead, with every conversation you have, whether a five-hundred-message chat or only two, it increases the trust you have in each other. You can bank on them during hard times, take advice, enjoy success, and laugh like a joker without ever being mocked for it! As Audrey Hepburn once said, ‘The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.’ And friendship just allows you to do so!
The Trials of Hard Times
Like all relationships, even friendship isn’t immune to turbulence. Just one word misunderstood can lead to jealousy and detachment, eroding your trust in each other. Even distance plays a part; priority changes, different career paths, and hectic schedules can create gaps. Conflict, though painful, can either strengthen the friendship or break it completely. And true friendship doesn’t avoid storms, it sails through them! True friends never abandon you; they will sit in silence and listen to you during moments of grief; they will clap for you in moments of success when no one is watching. As someone said,
‘It won’t break if it is friendship. If it does, it never was friendship!’
Legendary Friendships in History
Friendship has been a powerful force with which empires have been built and destroyed. Here are some of the most famous friendships that teach what true friendship is and how one should abide by it:
- Alexander and Hephaestion: Hephaestion was Alexander the Great’s general, second-in-command, and a childhood friend. He was the anchor with whose help Alexander navigated the difficulties of life and built his empire. When Hephaestion died, Alexander grieved publicly and built a statue to honour him.
- Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan: Helen Keller was a blind and deaf girl with no future, until Anne Sullivan, a teacher appointed for her, entered her life. She took years to teach Helen how to speak and write. As a result, Helen was able to go to school and college, and once she got exposed to the world, the rest became history! Helen even stated that she owes her life to Anne Sullivan, who, despite tantrums created by Helen early on, never gave up. Their friendship lasted 49 years, built on empathy, resilience, and mutual growth.
- Krishna and Sudama: Not much needs to be mentioned about their epic friendship, which serves as the basis of comparison in all friend circles. Krishna, despite being a king, welcomed his poor childhood friend Sudama with love and humility, washed his feet, accepted his handful of rice, and blessed him, showing how true friendship remains unbothered by status and wealth.
- Akbar and Birbal: This friendship needs no introduction, thanks to the storybooks published depicting their friendship. Birbal, a Hindu courtier, was famous for his strong wit and wisdom. His counsel helped Akbar navigate complex political and social issues, and their friendship became the epitome of religious tolerance.
Friendship in the Digital Age
The age of writing letters and fighting alongside on battlefields is long gone. Now, friendship has found a new way of connection through chatting, video calls, and clicking photos. Online connections through DMs (direct messages) offer support at 2 a.m., celebrate success from the other side of the world, and create communities, where people are strangers today and besties tomorrow!
Students continuously chat with each other, asking for PDFs, solutions, opinions on the next meet-up, and much more. While adults talk about their next adventure, investment plans, or extending the deadline of the next project. Where you had to write letters and wait for days for the response, and sometimes none at all, now all it takes is two letters, ‘Hi’, and the conversation is up and running!
Yet, this quick digital friendship comes with paradoxes. A heart emoji can make you feel light, but can it replace the warmth of a hug? Can a thumbs-up emoji or an ‘ok’ message mimic the excitement that can be seen on the face when a picnic spot gets finalised? We are so attached to our phones that even an hour’s delay for a reply can make you think that your friend is ignoring you.
A Celebration of Connection
Friendship is timeless, something even the Gods have lived with. That sudden check-in message, loud laughter like an engine starting, and quiet moments of sadness, all this makes friendship worth living for. You just can’t go wrong if you have a good friend to guide you! Friendship doesn’t ask you to have more humour, or be considerate, or not disturb at night; all it asks for is your presence and your reciprocation of the efforts your friend puts in. As we grow up, friends act as mirrors, cushions, and someone to be proud of having. Here’s a big shoutout to those friends who stayed, those who returned, and those who are yet to come.
‘True friendship is the most human thing we ever create!’