the ties that bind

how is true friendship established?
for each of us, the answer is different.

in my experience, it is a commonality and/or a certain kind of chemistry that initiates the process. of course, not every encounter or even long-standing relationship reaches what i define as "true friendship". but this post isn't about my definition of friendship. rather, i'd like to put my thoughts into words about relationships in general. some last a lifetime, whereas many are a bit more evanescent. but all have their beginnings...

sometimes, it may be as simple as a blood relation. or a common motherland, mother tongue, or alma mater. however superficial these may be, i believe there's always potential for any budding relationship to become something that withstands the trials of life and the society we live in. unfortunately, most will wither away at some point, for much more than initial connections is required to sustain meaningful relationships. even friendships that were once solid are susceptible to being diminished to the level of small talk/superficiality.

i probably sound pessimistic. i'm not. friendship is something i greatly value in life, as most people do as well. over the past several years, i've learned a couple of hard lessons about respect for friendship. i could write much more about this, but i won't here.

i guess my main thought is this: friends are not objects to be collected. friendship should be treated with care and respect. if such things don't exist within any given relationship, one should question how "meaningful" that friendship is. as mentioned earlier, i don't expect all to last.

and i think that's okay.

if meaningful relationships could be established with every acquaintance we make in life, it would be a beautiful, beautiful thing :)