SURROUNDED by the noise of the world, secret animosity takes a hold of numerous relationships, breaking them apart. But in the midst of the chaos, there is a guiding light, a friend who’s pure and present, someone who’s genuine and proud of what we’ve achieved.
From less than a day to more than a decade, a pure friendship doesn’t rely on time, because it flies when we spend our days with someone who we can connect with on a deeper level, sharing food, clothes, money, and even secrets. Through thick and thin, they’ll be there. Our friends have seen us cry, scream, bawl, swear, smile, and fall in love. They may be judgmental of the people we meet throughout life, but they’ll always be the first to defend us when something goes south.
Our companions come in different shapes and sizes. They may be loud or quiet, soft-spoken or sassy, and chalant or mysterious; however, one thing they have in common is their ability to give love – fully and honestly. They may be the type of person to send Tiktoks everyday, or call you on a random evening, or they can be the type to chat once every four months — sharing paragraphs of updates, shocking us with every story they talk about.
Some bonds can stretch for miles and stay for years. Long distance friendships are some of the most bittersweet things, especially when they can be asleep while we are awake, fresh at school while we’re grubby in bed. These types of connections are more difficult to maintain, but the strongest in the test of time. The amount of patience and love that are needed to maintain a friendship that spans the ocean is incredible, and validly so. However, the best part is always when we finally get to meet them after years of online communication. And, this generation is lucky, because years ago, it would take months for pen pals to have a conversation with one another, waiting for their letters to be delivered with pretty stamps and wax seals. Now, with just a click of a button, we can easily talk with our friends, no matter the distance.
But sometimes, these cherished relationships come to an end. They rust, they fade, they get cut off. Some friendships end in heated arguments filled with vile words and fiery emotions. Others fade over time as we get busy or lose contact with the people we were once close with. But the ones that hurt the most are the friendships that ended with no explanation, leaving us with blurry endings and bitter tongues. The ones that fall out for no apparent reason sting, because we wonder from time to time where it all went wrong, as guilt pulses our heads with the question, “Will things ever be the same again?”
As we fall out of friendships, we learn lessons, and find new companions along the way. We learn how to treat them better, how to always be there, when to talk and when to stay quiet, when to be funny and when to sympathize with their experiences. We know how to make proper jokes, and figure out how to be sensitive to other people’s emotions. With our friends, we figure out life with a compass – a beautiful, unspoken rulebook of sorts. When we laugh with them, our hearts beat louder. When we cry with them, our body trembles in rhythm. With people to share our burdens and happiness with, life becomes something a little bit more colorful.
Through life, we meet people that we become close with, may it be our elementary friends that we play tag with, our high school barkada that stay up with us while we cram assignments, our college pancit canton buddies who visit our dorms every now and then, or our workmates who encourage us to strive for more and grow old with us. However, one thing stays the same – we love them, and they love us, too. And like a childhood toy, they’ll linger, and remind us of who we once were, and who we wanted to become. They’ll be our echoes, our missing halves, our friends./PN
