Thabile’s grandma is a retired educator and counsellor.
Don’t we need to keep, animate and treasure friendships?
If we don’t value them, what’s the point of having them?
Friendships fly with fun. Shouldn’t they sail with fairness?
Seeing that some of her childhood friends are pursuing their dreams
as a result of personal and professional dynamics and needs in their lives—
career options and paths, furtherance of education and training, and marriages,
etc., — 24-year-old Thabile, asks her grannie “Please share some of the important
and clear elements and types of social friendships?” Her 80-year-old grandma grins.
“Tha, I’d like to praise you for using such words as important and clear, carefully.
Somehow, this shows me that you’ve a hunch that our understanding and cataloging
of these unions vary purposefully and profoundly from person to person, time to time,
country to country, and culture to culture. Friendships can be social, personal, private or
tiered. Some souls even claim that connections are purely useful, seasonal or financial!”
Conscious of her tonal change, she beams, pauses and regards Thabile before resuming.
“I’m of the opinion that new, old, ranked or what, friendships should be based
on shared interests and trust, reciprocated respect and reception, effective, noble
and fair engagement and communication, help and happiness, sacrifice, empathy
and sympathy and self-sacrificing activities. Anyway, some people say they have
friends for just chats or for seeking assistance. That’s it! I don’t honestly consider
such funny leagues as fair and frank, happy and healthy, sustainable and sensible”.
