So it was

So it was, early Sunday morning around 8ish that I woke up to the roar of thunder. There was no weather alert for thunderstorms the previous night, and yet it felt like a mighty giant awakening from slumber, extending his arms while yawning, and then collapsing clumsily in a string of thunderbolt, pain and growl.

And in the background, I hear "Don't cry for me, Argentina" coming from my neighbor's living room.

The roaring giant, later I found out, was the nostalgic implosion of Texas Stadium, and the music was from the movie Evita, based on the story of the second wife of Argentinean President Juan Perón.

This brought forth a wave of buried feelings and remembrance for things I have let go, like friendships. I quickly remembered once reading somewhere that friends come to us for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

I can tell you I now understand this concept, and I can say that as I'm getting older I have come to value those friendships. In my youth or teenage years it was all about forging friendships that we thought neither land, sea, or time could break, but I was partly wrong. In my 20s it was all about finding my way in the world and finding those sustaining friendships.

As I entered my 30s, competition, motherhood and survival in a new world became the friendship agenda of the times. We waged war on every issue, every uttered or misunderstood word, and every cause not suitable to our likes. Why? I guess we were still finding our footing among other giants of great intellect and varied opinions.

Then in my 40s, I finally arrived at that place where you just simply let go, let pass, and pick your battles carefully and do not waste time on idle or insignificant matters.

However, as the aging continues, I think we all feel the need to reconnect with old friends, so I ask myself if this is a more matured need we have, or do we fear the end approaching and the need to make amends? Whichever it is, I now know that the people who came into my life for a reason helped me though times, impacted my life so deeply and they still occupy a special place in the deepest corners of my tired soul; the people that came into my life for a season, I will treasure them for ever and not force myself into their lives again by trying to prolong the past, as I've learned the lessons derived from their wisdom.

Yet, the people that I'm so happy to count as my lifetime friends, I thank you for still hanging in there throughout all our joint carrousels of happy times, emotions abound, and eclectic likes and dislikes over many cups of coffee, lunches and cozy dinners, where tears of joys and sorrows complemented the rain-free evenings, making us see clearly the humanity in ourselves, traits like kindness, understanding and tolerance. Consequently, and thanks to my daughter's idea of joining the nouveau age of Facebook, I have found myself reconnecting with old school mates, and so I think, isn't sad that we are compelled to do this so late in life? I say friends' membership renewed is the order of the day. Oh yeah, and kudos to the lady that wrote a book not too long ago about reconnecting with friends that were left behind as our enemies!