Once upon a time in Mongolia, there lived a cruel prince. He was very wicked and unkind to his servant. The servant was very wise and hardworking. The prince got pleasure out of hitting his servant and would beat the servant black and blue without any fault of his.
One day, the prince and the servant were going to a neighboring country. The prince rode a strong and sturdy horse while the ser followed him on a frail horse.
They had to travel a long distance. After a few hours, the sky became overcast and loud thunder could be heard at a distance behind them. The prince was a coward and was very frightened by the clap of thunder. He looked around for a place to hide but found none. His servant had not caught up with him yet. So the prince made his strong horse walk slower and waited for the servant. When he saw the servant, he shouted, “Don’t lag behind me, you fool! Keep up with me!”
The servant replied. “How can I keep pace with you? My horse is so weak.” On hearing this, the prince was furious and he roared, “It means you haven’t fed the horse well. It is your fault. What were you doing all this time, lazy man?” Then he struck the servant on his head as hard as he could.
At that very moment, there was a streak of lightning in the sky. The prince was so frightened that he closed his eyes tightly. The servant saw his brilliant idea. He took advantage of the opportunity and swinging his riding-whip, knocked the prince on his head. The prince thought that lighting had struck him. He was terrified and he fainted. He thought that God was punishing him for what he did to his servant. So, from then he always acted well with the servant.
“Good friends care for each other… close friends understand each other, but TRUE FRIENDS stay forever… beyond words, beyond distance, beyond time…!”
Many of us have friends in our lives over the years. Some friends we make as children and then lose contact as we grow older. Other friends we make as adults and stay in touch with as long as we are in close proximity to and it is convenient to keep in touch but then over time one moves away or busy schedules slowly pull us apart and we start to lose touch. Those friendships fall into the “good friends” or “close friends” as the opening quote cites. But then there is that last group of friends – those we call true friends – they are those we have a mutual caring about, and we understand each other’s hearts, and where bonds are formed between us that span any distance in proximity and where the bonds run so deep that no amount of time apart or lack of words will change the way we feel about that friend. These are our true friends, and when one comes into your life cherish it!
As a child our family moved often and so I was constantly making new friends each place we moved. Often the contact was lost with friends in past locations, although my memories of them were treasured. As an adult it is often harder to find the time to form those deep friendships outside your immediate family members because we are all trying to juggle a million balls in the air with work and church and service and community all while trying to give our greatest attention to our own children and spouses where it rightfully belongs. And as a single mother for many years of my life it was even more difficult to make time for friends because playing the role of two parents by yourself while also being the sole support of your family was overwhelming to say the least.
But even during those challenging years there were individuals during that time who came into my life that I consider my truest of friends. They are individuals who saw me through tough times and who always saw the best in me despite any of my shortcomings. They picked me up at times I was down. They stood by me when I felt alone. They taught me things about life and about myself with patience and understanding. They lifted my children’s spirits and made them laugh when they were going through tough times of their own. They forgave at times when I was grumpy or obstinate. They loved me without judgment and without expectations. They gave me hugs, even at times that I may not have deserved one. These true friends were individuals who were there for me…maybe not always in person or in word every time, but always in heart…and knowing that helped me through incredible challenges throughout the years.
True friends just do that – they help us grow and change for the better. They support us in good times and bad. They can make us laugh when all we want to do is cry. And no matter how far apart time and distance may cause us to grow from one another, and even if death takes one of them from this world to the next, we always have the comfort of knowing that these true friends are still there for us, even if only in spirit, cheering us on and wishing us the best, because that is what true friends do for each other.
When someone is genuinely your true friend they leave an impression on your heart that will never go away…not with time and not with distance. True friends secure a place in your heart forever. I am forever grateful for the true friends in my life, both those who are alive and those who have passed away, thank you so much for being my true friends!
The dark side of Arun 