Celebrating the essence of friendship
- Asha Tripathi
- Jul 28
- 3 min read

I belong to an era where friends were family and for life. We exchanged clothes, pencils, pens, compass boxes etc. We would visit each other, sit in Veranda and chat whole evening. We lived moments and never felt bored, sad, or depressed and lonely. The emotional connection was so deep that we never felt insecure because we knew that at any stage of life we have a true friend to rely on.This year Friendship day is celebrated on August 3rd.
Friends are not just people we talk to or just spend time with. They are the ones who understand our silence, accept us with flaws and stand by us not because they have to but because they want to. They are the ones we lean on when life gets heavy and the ones we laugh with when life feels light. A friend may be someone from school, college, neighbourhood or even someone met randomly or unexpectedly who becomes irreplaceable.
In today's hyper-connected world, we have hundreds or even thousands of friends - online and offline. Friendship has drastically changed over the years where the nature and role of friends has evolved.
Interaction
Then: Time was spent in person.
Now: Links and replies define interactions.
Connectivity
Then : Letters, Visits, Phone Calls etc
Now : Emojis, memes, status updates etc
Bonding
Then : Fewer friends, deeper bonds
Now : More contacts, shallow engagements
Sharing space
Then : Friendship were formed in shared spaces like schools, home, gatherings etc
Now : Friendship formed in digital space
Presence
Then : physical presence in times of need
Now : virtual support often limited.
The shift to virtual friendship has brought both convenience and cost .
Less face-to-face to face : This leads to weaker emotional connection.
Busy digital life: This has reduced the quality time spent with friends
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): This breeds comparison not connection.
Friendship now is often transactional built around gains, status and influence. As a result, loneliness has crept into our lives despite digitally active. The length of the chord of emotion has shortened thereby widening the distances in friendship.
Reach out to friends for real conversation not just for a contact or connect. Whenever possible meet in person. Nothing can replace a real hug or a shared laugh. Limit screen time bonding. Prioritise calls, visits and quality talks over passive scrolling. Nurture old connections. Rekindle old true friendships which is always fulfilling than gaining new followers. Celebrate birthdays, plan a picnic or even a movie outing, coffee meet etc which will create offline memories .
Digital friends are not inherently bad as they too can offer connections and even evolve into meaningful bonds. But nothing can replace the power of a true friend who walks with you in every season of life.
In the age of virtual proximity, let us not forget the beauty of genuine connection because in the end it's not the number of friends we have, but the depth of a few who truly shape our lives.
As a quote says "A true friend is someone who walks in when rest of the world walks out".
So, this friendship day let's not just celebrate it but let's live it, honor it and nurture it because friends are not just part of life, they are the heart of it.
Friendship is not about big gesture-- it's about being there. Celebrate it by being committed, unbiased, present, true and loving.
"Happy friendship day to all of you"
(The writer is a tutor based in Thane.)
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