The Friend

I was pleasantly surprised to see the name of an old friend highlighted in my inbox; after all, it had been almost half-a-decade since we were in touch with each other – I say “half-a-decade” because it makes it seem longer than five years, which it, indeed, was. But the mail was not one that carried tidings on the progress a friend had made in the journey of life; rather, it carried the sad news of his father’s demise. Instinctively, I reached for my phone to make that call we all dread, only to discover that I changed handsets so many times in the intervening period that I lost his contact details. This drove home the point that I had stopped memorising numbers since my phone took over the task!

Receiving this mail made we wonder why my friend, who hadn’t quite shared the news of all the good things in life, chose to share news of his bereavement with me. Online social networking has redefined and, maybe, diluted the meaning of a ‘friend’ and what we share with those we interact with in the virtual world. And in coping with comprehending the new meanings and manner of friendship, this mail made me realise that my friend had honoured me by sharing a bit of his sadness…