On Love and Friendship

It is not what you think.

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

I love love and friendship. And sometimes you find both in one place.

As much as I am always in awe when I see friends celebrating decades and lifetimes of friendship. I have started to notice the relationships that started to bud between adults and with time blossoms into this beautiful thing. And it is not even of the “adulty” kind.

Adulting is so hard that it seems like there is no time for friendship. There is family, moneyship, and just hustleship, and you even convince yourself you have got this. You dont need anyone else. You silently even judge the friends who always seem to make time for lunch or dinner together.

Let us not underestimate the friendship formed when life is lifing. Infact inspite and despite life happening. It is formed between changing diapers and talking about the colour and texture of poo, those 2 minutes conversations that are interrupted 24 times cos you have a toddler or 2, or those late night calls to just complain about your husband or teenagers and you spend half the time trying not to cuss, the same one that sees you through loss, and pain, and divorces and miscarriages, and love and imposter's syndrome and grief and guilt and bad bosses and you don't even need to say too much.

You don't need to be in the same time zone even, but somehow, between school runs and client meetings, you make it work. You don't need to speak every day, but there is a permanent message that says - You are not alone. I am here with you and I always got you.

Now those, those are worth their weight in gold.

I love stories of love and friendship. And it is blessing when you have both in one place.

And if any one or two people crossed your mind as you read this, say a prayer for them and maybe let them know you truly value them.

Until next time,

Umm B