"Keep your hand here and say, Promise." a little boy said
. "Promise," said the girl as she placed her hand in his."We will be friends all our lives,no matter what happens," he said.
"We will be friends all our lives,no matter what happens," she repeated solemnly.They looked into each other's faces and after being convinced that the other really meant it, they continued their walk home, the contents of their school bags rattling on their backs.They must have both been around 6-7 years old.
(I remembered Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher's promise and how Tom gave himself away by his own words and stifled a smile.)
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To some, friendship is an easy thing. Helpful and then forgotten.Others take it seriously. Like the ancient story of
Damon and Pythias.
Pythias was accused of plotting against the ruler and was sentenced to death. When he asked for permission to bid farewell to his family, the ruler imprisoned Damon in his place, as a security. The day of execution arrived and Pythias was still missing. So the ruler was thinking of executing Damon instead. Pythias arrived just in time, panting and he begged Damon's forgiveness for all the tension he must have caused him,explaining how he got delayed.
"But I wasn't tensed at all,"Damon said.Anyway it has to be one of us and the other has to struggle all alone. So what difference does it make, who is executed and who is set free?"...
Watching this kind of argument, the ruler was so impressed by their friendship that he set them both free.
"I lay down my life that you might have abundant life,"Jesus said .That sacrifice gives the cross its crown.
Now and again we see people jumping in to receive bullets meant for others or jumping into flood waters to throw others out.
But more than the feel of doing something drastically heroic, those living ordinary lives, showing love everyday-an encouraging word, showing somebody a new perspective, accepting people as they are and letting them be themselves, tolerating a loved one's emotional outburst and letting them calm down and face life with new strength - that gentle wisdom, patience and supportive, unconditional love is truly the greatest love of all..
At this moment of thought, my conscience pins down my soul. A well wisher of mine had almost ignored her own needs and comforts to accompany me to places I most certainly couldn't have visited on my own. Places I dreamed of visiting for years together but which would have been inaccessible without the required amount of humility - her humility. Today she lies in hospital with cancer (2nd stage) and I haven't so much as even visited her!( I mean after she started radiation therapy). Postponing a visit just to have rest made me miss showing her the gratefulness I owe her. She's got shifted to a far off hospital for treatment. I can now only pray that angels should give her the help and comfort she needs -specially till I see her. .
Long live Friendship
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