JOIN USWe all crave for good friends and only a few are blessed to have them. To have an ideal friend, we must ourselves possess the qualities to be one. We must have what we expect in a friend. One sided relationships, which we all encounter sometime or the other, cannot be called friendships.
Friends are valuable and important for our all-round well being -- social, educational, economic, emotional and physical wellness. Good friends always energise us and bring happiness. We need genuine friends especially when in trouble or grief ridden, not only for helping us out of the hardship but also to boost our morale and help us tide through the tough times. When life is unfair and burdensome, we need an outlet, a shoulder to cry on and a soothing touch. When life is joyous, we need a heart to share it with.
Therefore, it is important to choose and nourish a relationship that will stay with us in difficult, as well as joyous, times. It is not the number of friends that matters, but the quality of relationships we share.
Who is your best friend? Some one who accepts you as you are and is empathetic; one who demonstrates and reciprocates your positive and protective feelings and is keen to ensure the well-being of each other. In all your interactions, both of you are direct and honest, enjoy a sense of freedom and love. It's a person with whom you can freely share even your intimate joys, fears and concerns.
Beware of people on a one-way street, who use you when in need but are not available at the time of your need. Such people leave you emotionally exhausted.
If you are looking for a model of ideal friendship, look no further than the bond shared between the Lord Krishna and warrior Arjuna. In fact, choosing God as our friend, I believe, will lead us in the right direction.
Here is a beautiful Sanskrit prayer song in a Malayalam film, rendered by P Susheela and K J Yesudas: jaanakiii jaanee raamaaa ….kadhana nidhaanam naaham jaane, moksha kavaadam naaham jaane…..vishaaadha kaale sakaathwameva bhayaandha kaale prabaa thwameva ……bhavathbi noukaa thwameva deva. A rough translation goes like this: ‘Oh my Lord, you know the best for me. I do not know the methods of either overcoming the struggles of life or the path to salvation. You are the only friend during times of distress, light during the dark phase of life and the raft to sail across the ocean of lifespan’.