As people grow, they learn things. And we all know that no man is an island. Everybody needs someone who can be counted on in times of difficulties. That is how the term “friend” came to be. I personally think, however, that the word means different things to different people.

People run away when they are afraid. Fear of the unknown, fear of insecurity and fear of loneliness. We run, hoping that the problem will go away. Sadly most of the time, it does not. I had to learn this the hard way.

When times go bad, many rely on friends and hope they can stay throughout the difficulties. It is worse if the problem arises between friends. I had the unpleasant experience and the scars remain until today to remind me. Yet, as are all things in life, the most wonderful things come in guises that we least expect. That friend went on to become one of my closest friends today.

Friendships endure storms, and at the end of it, if they survive, the bond becomes stronger. Ever wondered why there is a ‘ship’ in ‘friendship’? Like a real ship, to steer through the storm, all that it requires is teamwork. You need the captain and the crew. Both cannot work without the other. Friendship is a teamwork game.

Somehow, my mind fails to make the words express what I wanted to say. I realise that, the world is a much better place to live in if people just take everything as a stoic fact of life. And sometimes that involves stepping back, looking at the bigger picture and have the courage to laugh at yourself before inhaling deeply and trudge on, slowly, one step at a time.