Guest blogger: Soven Trehan
I was a very popular person when I was younger and delighted in making friends. In hindsight, I realize that my friendships were my world and frankly a much too important part of my identity.
Naturally, as I grew older, the list became smaller. Initially, each name falling off the list felt like a blow to my chest. With each friendship withering away, the child in me slowly evaporated.
For a while and, unknown to myself, I tried to find those friendships again, settling for ersatz equations, trying to prove to myself that no one was irreplaceable. It was a useless endeavor from the start. Now that I’m older, I’m kinder to myself. I’ve let go of my ego and accepted the fact that I’ve suffered a loss; one that I probably wouldn’t ever recover from.
Don’t get me wrong. Even now, I have immensely fulfilling relationships. These friendships demand less of me, give me my space, and nourish me. But they can never come close to the friendships I had in my childhood.
But you know what I think? These friendships are a reflection of me and my life today. They may not be unconditional or ever constant or always there, but they’re authentic. They’re trying to survive in a world of constant communication and shallow living and nonstop running.
These friendships are endearing in a world that demands so much from us. Memes are their language of love, five minute phone calls are their two hour conversations, and social media is their virtual coffee meet-ups.
Some say these friendships are shallow imitations of what should be. And maybe these people are right.
But these friendships are kind. They’re reassuring. They’re making an effort. And, in their uniquely flawed way, they are enough for the person I am today.
Moments to Stories 