We were the best of friends in school and then we were together in college too. That we stayed close by and our parents were friends too, helped to strengthen our bond. Not a single day passed without our meeting and chatting for hours about just anything and everything.
And then life happened and we moved to different cities. We stayed in touch, initially through letters and an occasional phone call but then it all stopped as schedules and priorities changed. Thanks to the social media, which reconnects old friends, easily. Last year, we ‘met’ each other on Facebook and that helped in re-kindling our dormant friendship. She was visiting my city for some work. I was keen to catch up with her and asked her to stay at our home. She gladly accepted the offer.
When I opened the door for her, we looked at each other for a moment and then without a word, fell into each other’s arms and simply hugged each other tightly. We hit it off like nothing ever changed. We cracked jokes, we laughed and we talked non-stop as we cooked together, sipped tea, went shopping down the apartment for a few things… And then it struck me, something had changed! She had changed!! She always had a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone she had met … my maid, the neighbour we met in the lift, the security guard, the cashier at the store… I was seeing a new side of my friend!
We talked all through the night, remembering and reminiscing about the old days; re-living and revealing the years of life that we spent away from each other.
And it was then I got to know about the series of cruel blows life had thrown her way. She had to deal with several hardships, including the sudden death of her husband in a road accident, her husband’s business partner cheated her out of money and filed some false cases against her, her part-time job which paid peanuts then, the struggle to pay the EMIs for home loan and car loan and then her own accident which kept her bed-ridden for five months. As I shed tears at how unfair and brutal life had been for her, she calmly told me that all these tough times had made her learn lessons she never would have learnt otherwise. The trying times had changed her perspective about life and people.
During those trying times, she experienced it all… pain, tears, grief, anger, frustration. It was during those trying times, she started doing what was necessary for her to survive and then what was possible and soon she found herself doing the impossible. With her grit and determination, with her attitude of gratitude and perseverance, the bumpy road eventually turned smooth again.
During those few hours that we were together, she taught me all about perseverance and the importance of getting back up after a fall (a series of falls in her case). She proved that one not only survives the unexpected and challenging times but also grows from the experience. And that we didn’t meet that day by accident. We were meant to cross each other’s path for a reason!!
32 Responses
Sounds like an amazing reunion, Shilpa! I’m so happy for you! :O)
Thanks LuAnn! 🙂
Wow. Hats off to your friend. And yes, how much ever we may hate to admit, adversity is our best teacher!
Destination Infinity
Well said, tough times teach us lessons in life’s school that will never leave us the same.
This is one of the best posts I have read for the #together campaign. I admire the steely resolve of that friend, Shilpa. What an incredible story of triumphing over every disaster. Hats off to her and kudos to you for telling her story.
Setbacks and trying times are a part of life. Whether we manage to find joy and success in the daily struggle of life is largely dependent on our ability to persevere through these adverse times without ever giving up and that’s what my friend did! Thanks Shailaja! Yes, she truly is awe-inspiring.!
This is a very soulful and touching story.Life is so unpredictable. We cant say what will happen in the next moment.
True, but surviving and coming out stronger and never ever giving up hope is what we must be aiming for! Thks Ma’am!
In a recent discourse I attended a person said that a man without any hardships in life is the unluckiest on earth for he can never grow … Kudos to ur friend and her determination in life
Well said! The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials!! Thanks Jayashree!
Absolutely touched by the courage of your friend! Sometimes hardships teach us lessons for a lifetime! Still, I wish I could ease her pain!
Thank you Nancy. Your kind words touched my friend. Hugs from her to you!! 🙂
Listening to stories about such people strengthens my belief in positivity and determination. Thankyou for sharing this.
True, such stories instill that hope and faith in us, which is so very much needed in our life’s struggles! Thanks Nisha!
Your friend is a true winner, she came out victorious and a much stronger person through all the hard times life threw at us. Thanks for sharing about her inspiring story.
Thank you for your kind words, Beloo. My friend is overwhelmed with the support and comments on this post!
Some people teach us so much..especially when they are close to us and have faced the hardships in ways worth emulating
Agree, she is truly awe-inspiring!
Life is a struggle for survival.Every day life makes one go through such hardships that make one strong .
They say….Tough times don’t last,Tough people do.m
True. They say use what you’ve been through as fuel, believe in yourself and be unstoppable.
Completely agree!
We never know who might inspire us and how might teach us a lesson. And to come out strong after all that happened, hat’s off to your friend.
Stories like these show us that it is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed. Thanks Ashwini.
Fortuitous or is it foreordained as you would like to believe.
BTW I wonder if there are more than a few women who keep friends of the same sex, I mean a lasting friendship and as you narrated a reunion etc.
I believe, it was meant to be 🙂 Oh yes, we women do need our girl friends! There’s nothing like a day with fun, funny and positive gal-pals!
She sounds like an amazing person!
Oh yes, she is a rock star, truly!
I am reading this ‘meant to meet’ quote the second time this morning. And I believe that to the end. There’s always a reason for a person to be in your life. And hats off to your friend, for having that smile and a kind word for everyone even when she had to face some not so good days. People like her are an inspiration.
Yes, she is an amazing woman. Thanks Sheethal!
I cant believe how similar our experiences have been..I can relate to every word you have written here…do read this and you’ll know why….http://titli15081977.blogspot.in/2011/08/irony-of-fate.html?m=0
Like you said..things do happen for a reason…In fact it was this friend who inspired me to blog…and my earliest post was about her.
Oh yes, both our friends had similar struggles! 🙁 God bless them!
Love such people with great will, grit and determination. They are such a good influence to the society. Your friend is truly great and yes everything happens for a reason. so true. nice post, Shilpa!
Oh yes, such people are so inspiring. They fill us with so much of hope! Thank you, Asha!