Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Finding a friend

Every person on this planet needs a friend. You need a friend. I need a friend. Not just some acquaintances or some fellows in our virtual social networks. But an authentic one. A wellspring of love. Someone whom we can call at past midnight especially when our car breaks down—or when we are on the verge of breaking down! Someone whom we can watch feel-good movies with after a delightful dinner. Someone whom we can travel and take photos with, and discover the world together. Someone who knows and shares our stories, our thoughts, our dreams, our victories, our joys, even our frustrations—and especially our pains.

A friend is an essential ingredient to a good quality life. A friend brings color to a person’s existence. Without one, life becomes simply black and white. But if a person is fortunate enough, he or she may enjoy having a company of great souls painting his or her life with vibrant colors. Blue. Red. Pink. Orange. Green. Purple. Yellow.

To cherish a friend is to value a rare jewel. A Jewish proverb says that whoever finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure. So one has to voyage, to search further, to invest time, to make efforts, to give beyond measure, and to hope until he or she discovers that treasure in the heart of another being. But the secret to finding one is to be one. Therefore, we start by becoming the very person we want our friend to be, because the best part of this journey is to know that we are also a treasure of our faithful friend.