By Lalit Garg International Friendship Day: Writer, Journalist, Columnist E-253, Saraswati Kunj Apartment Friendship A Bouquet full of Happiness in Life 25 IP Extensions, Patparganj, Delhi-92 Email: [email protected] Lalit Garg Phone: 22727486, 9811051133 For whom a thinker has written - "Earlier we used to say, O Lord! We have to be saved from enemies but now we have to say, ``O God, save us from friends." Friends are more dangerous than enemies. Friendship day is an undertaking to make friendship a blessing, not a curse. This day provides a rare opportunity to develop the attitude of sharing happiness and sharing positive thoughts to others, keeping personal interests aside. The basic heart of celebrating this day is that even though there may be differences of opposition or thoughts between friends, there should not be any differences of their feelings because difference of opinion brings revolution whereas difference of feelings brings rebellion. Revolution is the knock of construction; rebellion is a sign of destruction. The feeling of friendship is the protective shield of our self-development. Acharya Shri Tulsi directed seven sutras for this. Friendship requires trust, self-sacrifice, non-attachment, tolerance, forgiveness, fearlessness, coordination. This Saptapadi Sadhana is the background of the meaning and success of life. It is an indicator of development. This Day of Friendship is inviting us, with outstretched arms, to run away and hold on to the trail of friendship without hesitation. Life is colorful, it is white and it is also black. Sometimes this gamut of friendship dissolves in the ears as a rage of life, and then somewhere the noise of doubt arises. Makes friendship strong, our resolve, our life expectancy, our compassion, but it requires dedication and warmth of belonging. It teaches to live, gives life a colorful look. Inspires to live in such a way that you go beyond yourself. If you can do this then every feeling, every step and every moment will be beautiful and life will become beautiful together. We need a companion of loneliness, a ruler of happiness, and someone who reprimands us with love for mistakes. If all these qualities are found in any one person, then surely he will be your friend. The same friend, in whose relationship there is no selfishness or deceit, but for your interest, your development, your happiness, in which there will always be a passion and intimacy. Although there is a rich tradition of festivals in Indian culture and history, now in our country it has increased due to the increasing attraction and trend towards International Days. Now every day there is some festival or day. We have made many new or imported festivals and days like Friendship Day a part of our culture and lifestyle. Friendship Day means forgetting all the grievances and strengthening the relationship of friendship with the strings of trust, affinity and harmony. In fact, only those friends are called friends, in whom there is a passion for affection, instead of selfishness, there is a feeling of selfishness, such friends are confined in the flute of breath, such friends are very rare in the world. The friendship of Shri Krishna and Sudama, Vibhishana and Shri Ram is an invaluable heritage of history. Joseph Fort Newton said that "people are lonely because they build up walls of enmity instead of building bridges of friendship." Friendship day is an undertaking to make friendship a blessing, not a curse. We have to create new values-standards of friendship, establish friendship in a meaningful way in life. Friendship should be synonymous with compassion; not love. Because in love there is selfishness, there are rites of attachment and aversion, whereas compassion becomes synonymous with charity. A TO Z INDIA SEPTEMBER 2022 PAGE 11