It is the wee hours of this beautiful Saturday morning and already the birds are first tweeting their excitement even though they have no inkling of what will come the next moment – now that is TRUST. I can literally watch/hear the dawning of this new day and what a blissful experience it never fails to be. Now is it that I am unable to sleep, nope it is simply due to the fact that sleep comes from GOD and what better way to put these waking moments to use despite the fact that I have already ingested 20mg of clonazepam as part of my daily regiment of drugs. Yeah, it is dystonia and it is real but that ain’t the subject matter.

My best friend Joiv is currently attending the wake keep of a departed friend and colleague, who in less than 6 months before her demise had to lay her husband to rest. Sad right? Now she is gone leaving behind a couple of kids who currently are running around greeting the few ‘uncles and aunts’ who have turned up to pay their last respects. Emphasis on the word ‘few’  because we can afford to be casual and indifferent about the pain of others as long as it ain’t close to home and my heart does go out to these little ones who have seemingly had their world shattered because right now, their care is dependent on folks who are not their biological parents and I can assure you that  “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans” – Peter Drucker.

Friendship is one of the most distorted words ever uttered by man because under the guise of friendship, many a mortal blow is dealt and amongst every twelve there must be a Judas. Taking a brief backwards or downward glance into the lives of some of the great historical names we were weaned on, their end was at the hands of those whom they called friends. For these little ones, I am confident and of the indisputable fact that children are a gift from God and ultimately He alone has worthwhile plans for them (although I also tend to draw the line at the modern day values where children are rapidly becoming a negotiating chip and the end result of two fools engaging in something honorable just for the fun of it).

I am blessed with awesome duty of stewardship of these bundles of blessing (well mine is a bundle as of date….) and it is amazing what responsibilities lies with this duty, for we will be judged not by the accolades of the ‘friends’ we amass in response to our philandering or philanthropy but by the achievements in our own home. Having just read a post of facebook by a lovely lady, I was forced to comment on the topic “for all mothers” because again in my opinion “to give alms is nothing unless you give thought” – J, Ruskin and so the status of motherhood should be further elaborated as not every lady who suffers the pangs of delivery is a mother. One of my most favorite and earliest learnt latin phrases is “cucullo non facit monachum” meaning “the hood does not make the monk”

Now it does seem I am digressing however bear with me, the heart is so filled that words are simply an inadequate form of expression however it will do for now. Taking an indepth look at the rising perils faced by these little ones, it is so disheartening that life in China seems like an option where the number of kids per family is determined by the state ( they have their own reason anyway, we know it). The astronomical rate of child abuse is traceable to those closest to the child, our friends, right? Many like Tia Sharp have had their lives bestially ended by ‘friends’, Ariel Castro was a friendly neighbor, the Hospitaller Order of St John of God was supposedly a place of haven and the list is endless.

The question that begs answering is who is your friend? For me, I opine that you choose wisely because there are friends who stick closer than brothers (take it from me) and in the long run, just like the string at the end of a kite being tugged by the hands of a child, your friends are those who enable you sower above whatever dreadful circumstances you may be in. They stay longer after everyone is gone and remain even when in moments of desolation and despair, you cast them away. They never leave and whilst we are keeping our enemies closer, realise that just one friend is worth a thousand foes.

I have found one even after 2 decades and just like the cacti, they may not be the most ornamental but they last and survive in some of the worst climates. Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are for birds of similar plumage……We were never meant to walk alone (I am no Liverpool FC fan :D…) but “When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.” – H. Nouwen

Be a friend today. Adios!

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