“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”– Martin Luther King, Jr.
Each of us is unique in our own way, this can be easily observed in our varied perspective or approach towards people & things in our life. It is these nuances in our personalities, which makes the whole concept of human behaviour, astonishingly complex. As we grow older, we imbibe certain values from our family, our friends & peers. Our outlook towards life and its challenges, majorly depend on our learning from them. Our relationships with others, moulds our personal opinions & the outcome of our decisions may rely on them. One such relationship which plays a major role in our lives is the sacred bond of friendship.
We look at relationships with people differently at each stage in our life. Even friendships have varying levels of depth in various stages of our lives. Let's look at how we see friendship as we grow old.
Children always focus on common activities, physical proximity, and shared expectations as the primary foundation of friendship. Friendships in children provide opportunities for building a valuable bond by playing and spending time on common hobbies. Children are almost always patient and caring towards their friends. They also tend to easily share their things with their friends.
Adolescents tend to seek out peers who have similar qualities, and they avoid people who may not be able to satisfy these needs. Friendships in this age group are built on activities such as sports, video games, fashion, & other mutual interests.
Most adults look for companionship, loyalty, and emotional support. Numerous studies with adults suggest that a majority of adults have an average of two close friends and other supportive relationships, that contribute positively to mental well-being, improved physical health, and enhanced self-esteem. Long years of friendship in adults, result in high levels of personal satisfaction even if the number of friends an adult has is less than 10.
No matter the age or the time in our life, we all cherish the company of a dear friend. Someone rightly said friendships are made. Real wisdom is gained from a good company, and good company is always with real friends. Friends come in all shapes and sizes. Some are just online friends, then there are friends who we only see a few times a year. However, we all have that one friend who always comes to our rescue, no matter the time of day.
As family responsibilities and career pressures lessen with age, friendships become more important. We sometimes tend to lose track of our bond with people who mattered to us once. Astonishingly, however, we always think of them when the right moment of nostalgia knocks on our door. This friendship day, let’s call that friend who reminds us of the things that were and things that could have been. #BaatTohKaro
If you feel you need to talk to someone, you can always speak to a counsellor online on DocsApp.