sustainability

yesterday we had another nice and long bb27th's dinner.

hmm but somehow, the numbers are dwindling, most probably due to the upcoming craziness that will engulf all councillors. creating a summary for the week never took longer before and the plethora of work that has been piled upon us seems endless, as if stretching into infinity. but nevertheless, i'm still relishing the opportunity to taste the experience of going through last year's intensity-packed terms.

anyway, last nite's conversation inspired a thread of thought regarding the sustainability of relationships. and i'm not referring to guy-girl relationships or anything that might be incident upon the plane of love. what i'm referring to is friendship, the paint that colours our otherwise monotonic lives.

sometimes, i really wonder how is it that we can lose touch with people or groups of people who once played a very special and important role in our lives so easily, so quickly. is it just one of the many vicissitudes of life that plagues us every day?

time is the only constant apart from change, and with the ebb and flow of time, feelings that were once fiery and tangible have become lost and eroded, leaving behind a blurred image of a previously seared outline; memories, they evanescent despite our struggles to grab hold onto them, and when we open our fists, what we find are but residues of the past, and these remnants drift too with the passing wind.

feelings and memories are what keep relationships going, and these take time to create and build up. but yet, we find that they are so easily displaced and forgotten sometimes. do you still keep in contact with your best friend in primary school whom you once confided everything to? or what about your ccamates who competed alongside you, and who are the ones you have slept with under the stars on countless nights? or the special group of friends who have endured sleepless nights together with you and shared many smiles and joyful memories? have the feelings gone, or are they still the same?

the awkward silence. the mute smiles. the strained conversations.

i guess sometimes it's just the compatibility and chemistry governing the friendship. interests change, people change. it's only possible to sustain a friendship if both parties put in the effort.

but on a happier note, there will always be some friends who will stay by your side, and like gold, they will resist the testing fires of time and emerge stronger. in fact, they weigh even more than gold, for they are incorruptible.

sustaining a friendship doesn't take much time.
all it takes is a word a day,
and a smile every day.