How Friendships work...

I got rather an interesting fwded email today with the title:

"HOW FRIENDSHIPS BREAK ? "

This is what it said:

"Both Friends Will Think The Other Is Busy
And Will Not Contact Thinking It May Be Disturbing..
As Time Passes
Both Will Think Let The Other Contact
After That each Will Think Why I Should Contact First ?
Here Your Love Will Be Converted To Hate
Finally Without Contact The Memory Becomes Weak
They Forget Each Other."

Well as usual that unleashed scores of long locked away thoughts and memories! The fwd was rather interesting!

Life had taught me many lessons on friendships. And I had let many lessons pass through, without recognizing the impact. But a few lessons, I had learned the hard way and still learning - not intend to forget them ever - just to save some sanity! God has blessed me with few good friendships - and here is how I think friendships work.

Any friendship is a two way track! A railway track that is. We share, care and respect each other and stay together until the very end. Does not mean we have same interests, same faith or same kind of life. If we have same feelings for each other - thats what make us a nice railway track that can carry our friendship till our final destination.

Friendships are built on trust! Once we become friend's with some one, we do not let any other person sway our trust on our friend - somewhat similar to a marital bond. We trust each other.

Friendships are open! We need not pretend to our friend. If we start doing it - then the friendship doesnot exist there. If we have a question about or for the friend, we sld be able to discuss it in the open with the friend - and not talk about it to a third person.

When friendship is present between two individuals, Ego is absent. Friendship and Ego are mutually exclusive. We do not hurt our friends by words, actions and /or thoughts. If we inadvertantly do - we do not hesitate to say sorry.

And like my favorite poet Robert Frost says, we maintain our own fences - keep our space to ourselves and respect our friend's space. We do not encroach upon their cherished corner. Playing nosy poky and being possesive are sure fire ways to endanger a good friendship. "Good fences make good neighbors".

And yes, Friendships do need nurturing. But does not mean that those not nurtured die. Lives can take friends far away from each other. We can try to keep in touch. In this world of social networking, keeping in touch is not a tough issue at all. But what about those that are not touched by social networking kind of stuff?

I beleive, if we are able to be in touch with our friends - its great. But as machine of life churns on - we are barely left with time to deal with our everyday rumblings. So if we're out of touch with a friend for a long time and call suddenly one fine day - its pleasure that seeps through the conversation. We both feel happy about that call. We may not talk to each other for another year. In this case - the feelings of friendship does not die.

But when we as people nurture friendships in heart it does not die. But when we let ego take the reins, friendship takes back seat and rides too far away to return. God bless good friends.