That's exactly what friends are for...

That's exactly what friends are for...
(A nice thoughtful piece, by a well meaning soul...)

I never sat on a sofa with my father after my marriage; he had already left me, but I have edited & forward the following story, since it is almost mine:
"Many years ago, after I got married, I was sitting on a couch on a hot, humid day, sipping frozen juice during a visit to my father. As I talked about adult life, marriage, responsibilities & obligations, my father thoughtfully stirred the ice cubes in his glass & cast a clear, sober look at me. "Never forget your friends," he advised, "they will become more important as you get older. Regardless of how much you love your family & the children you happen to have, you will always need friends. Remember to go out with them occasionally, do activities with them, call them ..."
"What strange advice!" I thought. "I just entered the married world, I am an adult & surely my wife & the family that we will start, will be everything I need to make sense of my life."
Yet I obeyed him; kept in touch with my friends & annually increased their number. Over the years, I became aware that my father knew what he was talking about!
In as much as time & nature carry out their designs & mysteries on a man, friends are the bulwarks of his life. After so many years of life, here is what I learned:
* Time passes.
* Life goes on.
* The distances increase.
* Children grow up & become independent & although it breaks the parents' heart, but they are often separated from them.
* Jobs come & go.
" Illusions, desires, attractions, weaken.
" People do not do what they should do.
* The parents die.
* Colleagues forget the favours.
* The races are over.
But......true friends are always there, no matter how long, or how many miles away they are.
A friend is never more distant than the reach of a need, reaching out to you, intervening in your favour, waiting for you with open arms or with blessings for your life.
When we started this adventure called LIFE, we did not know of the incredible joys or sorrows that were ahead.
We did not know how much we would need from one another.
Love your parents, take care of your children, but keep a group of good friends. Interact with them but do not impose your criteria.

Think about it...

Dedicated to the JoJo, Indra, Been ki Bindhni & my lovely friends