Vive La friendships!

There are friends who you may have known for 23 years, yet never got really close to, if you know what I mean.
Then there are friends to whom you have never spoken for 23 years, but when you do, it is as though the years have vanished like vapour and there is your bond, just as strong, just as good, just where you left it.


When the latter happens, it is indeed magic  and I have just received a large dose of magic just now and I am still floating in air with silly grin on my face, smiling at it all. I have just reconnected with a friend who was my classmate and with whom I had lost touch for 23 years. Last time I saw Ilakshee was in 1987. She gave me a little card then. There was no Internet those days and partings meant you had to write by snail mail if you wanted to keep in touch.




We never kept in touch but I treasured the card  (click on the above pictures to enlarge and read) . I am so glad I am a memory keeper that way. Everything that I treasure, and anything that moves me deeply, I keep carefully. I must have moved at least 20 times since 1987. But everywhere I went, my little collection travelled with me. One of it was the card which Ilakshi gave me.  Over the years, I used to read the card once in a way.I used to wonder what happened to her. Now I know :) She has turned out to be a smart, great looking, enthusiastic, vibrant and very positive person apart from being a mummy to two lovely girls. (don't go by the words on the card on her description of herself--that was just an over critical 15 year old talking :) ) This  her recent  pic on the left.


Today I spoke to her on the phone. We giggled and laughed and guffawed over our school memories, especially about our Yoga teacher. One of our friends had yanked his hair to see if it was a wig as he had really long and very straight hair  (yeah he could have modelled for sunsilk ad if he had been a woman. His hair was that good! ) and our point of perpetual debate used to be his hair. One fine day, our doubts were put to rest when his hair was yanked and we were all punished for the rest of the period. :-) It was completely worth it, the punishment :-)

We talked about many other things as well. I can't wait to meet her now. She hasn't changed even one bit. She is the same Illu I knew.

It is indeed amazing how time makes absolutely no difference to some things.
Vive la friendships! They bring so much joy to life :)

Comments

  1. Wow 23 years is a long time :-) It surely would have felt good talking to an old friend...

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  2. I know the feeling. Of course, 23 years is as long as a marriage, touchwood. Some friendships are so deep that even if we don't talk for ages, we can resume it anytime just as we left it because there is absolute trust and comfort and understanding about each other. Loved this post.

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  3. ahh - good stuff :)....hope you get to meet her soon and keep in touch regularly now :)

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  4. That was a lovely card. I read it a few times. There is a lot of immaturity in those words... And nice post.:)

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  5. Pointblank: Oh no--i think the words on the card were beautiful! Not immature at all--she was just describing herself as she was then! The card only kept the relationship alive!Thanks for commenting:)

    Shachi: i hope so too!

    Swapna:Thanks so much! 23 years is much longer than the time I have been married also! :) Btw, Visited u too :)

    Prats: yeah! Felt terrific!

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  6. This sounds so good; to catch up with a long time friend and clicking back. In few days, I am also looking forward to meeing a friend whom I have not seen since college:)

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  7. old friends are treasures and you have found one, congrats on that.

    Wow, same pinch on memory keeping, I too have stashed away some and keep lookin/reading at them, It boosts my spirits when i am down and out.

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  8. Wonderful.. Yup I agree.. Sometimes some distant call from a friend can just dissolve all those years in between.. Salute to the power of relationships and the way human mind connects to them.. :)

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  9. Going through old card and letter collections is fun!
    I have two bags full of them and they move with me EVERYWHERE!
    Yay on catching up with an old friend :D
    must have been great! My dad keeps meeting these friends from 30 years ago and I can always sense how happy it makes him.
    So yay you ;)

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  11. And in response to your reply to my comment on the previous post:

    Woohoo! lol.

    Do add me on facebook as i just tried adding you and it's impossible!
    And we'll exchange numbers.

    Then in 1.5 years I'll be your 23 years OLD friend :P
    (I'm giddy with excitement, please excuse the bad sense of humour!)

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  12. Yeah, the high one gets on meeting old friends is unmatchable. Thanks you reminded me to make a few phone calls

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  13. Ritu: yeah--the memories are priceless and joy is indeed unmatchable. Hope you connected with yours :)

    Sucheta: LOL :)Please do send me a message and I will add you. I am unable to find you on FB. One of my closest friends is 25.You can't be much different than him :P :) :D I get along extremely well with kids :P :)

    Sushobhan: yes you said it so well.

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  14. Asha: same pinch same pinch :)

    Lakshmi: if u post about it will surely read if you give me link :)

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  15. Prijay,
    I can understand the silly grin after our more than "bees saal baad" connect...since I was also left with one. My kids gave me that Oh-you-have-met-a-friend-on-facebook look :)Believe me , they were also rolling over our 'yoga classes' anecdotes. Thanx Preeti for bringing back those memories with your chat and this lovely post. So my card worked in a way!!??

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  16. Illu, Very much the card worked!!
    How we laughed! We will meet soon :)

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  17. old memories of friendship are to be cherished.

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  18. old memories of friendship are to be cherished.

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  19. its a nice post ..reminds me of our frds too!
    :)

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  20. :) nice post, I have been yearning to track one of my childhood friend and I am hoping I will be able to do that.

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  21. The magic of true friendship! Very very nicely written, Preeti :)

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  22. SS: Thank you thank you :)

    Rekha: I hope you do! I checked out your site. Very interesting stuff you have!

    Harman: Thanks :) Glad it does :)

    Roshan: i agree :)

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  23. Hi - do you know, I bought yr first book "34 bubblegums..." as my wife told me in Pune that - this book is wriiten by Ilakshi's friend. We (Ilakshi and us) are related.

    Anyways - nice post.Thanks for sharing.

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  24. Anonymous5:21 AM

    This is amazing. This bond. Sometimes you know someone for a lifetime and yet there's no connection and then there are some etched in our hearts.

    The giggling/goofy laughter part is what happened when I met some school friends after ages.

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