Friendship " QUOTE- UNQUOTE" line up

My mom had a fascination of  reading and then writing down in a note book all the quotes that she loved. That book  in her own handwriting is now a fond memory with us three sisters. I guess that is where I got my passion for writing quotes which I write an upload on my social media almost every day.... and you what I realised?  That there were so many quotes out there by people from around the globe, that I could actually write a whole blog just using those quotes in a proper sequence and by just adding a few words (those you see in italics)  to string  it together... so  this is what my love for quotes inspired me to do... Here goes one on "Friendship"...

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one^{."(~C.S, Lewis).}   ... "No friendship is an accident." ^{(~ O.Henry)}. but 'Making a friend and maintaining a friendship are two different things. Be picky about who you keep around you. Personalities, words and traits do rub of naturally' ^{(~Sonya Teclai, the Goodvibe.co).}  'It is important to make friendships that are deeper than gossiping, drinking and going out.  Make friends who can you can go out with, make friends you can cry with, make friends who support your life goals and believe in you' ^{(~Word Porn)..} 'Anyone that encourages intellectual, emotional, artistic or spiritual growth is worth keeping. Don't let them go' ^{(~Dau-CosmicExtensions).} So it is simple, “Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” ^{(~Thomas J. Watson).} After all it is said that, 'Friends are the siblings God never gave us. ^(~Mencius). and that "Friends are born, not made' ^{(~Henry Adams)} ... Think about it. "God gives us relatives; thank God, we can choose our friends". ^{(~Addison Mizner)}.  'Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to is letting a person be what he/she really is' ^{(~Jim Morrison)....} because  "A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else "^{(~ Unknown).}

"Friends should be like books, few, but hand-selected." ^{(~C.J. Langenhoven)...} More importantly it is true that,  “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.” ^{(~ Zig Ziglar).} Even then,  "I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.”^{(~Plutarch). ).} It is therefore better to remember that  “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” ^{(~Martin Luther King, Jr.)}  So, "If you wanna find out who's a true friend, screw up or go through a challenging time.. then see who sticks around." ^{(~Karen Salmonsohn)}

Let me end with one of my own thoughts about friendship.

"Friendship is not something you learn in school.

But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship,

you really haven't learned anything. There comes a

moment in life when one must acknowledge

that some friends will hurt you, intentionally and

sometimes unintentionally too...It is then best to

either keep quiet and forget about it....or move on !!"

Garba for Global Peace and Me!!

It was like Ma Ambe had especially designed a beautiful visit to my hometown to take her blessings. I found myself at Vadodara with family singing Garbas and being invited for events that I had always wanted to be there for.  One such was an invitation from my niece, Nishita, who insisted I attend her office event at Ahmedabad on 14^th October 2018, since I was so close. An event to promote world peace by bringing together exchange students from around the world and over 250+ well-wishers!! ...Now that was one I could never say NO to, not just because I love participating and working for social cause events, but also because AFS has been an indirect part of my life too.  When she was just a little girl in the 10th standard, Nishita had flown off on a student exchange program from AFS India, an inclusive educational community of global citizens, students, families and volunteers that builds bridges between cultures. Despite the choice of innumerable places, such as the US, an opportunity that every child would grab, I must admit I was truly proud that she chose to experience a culture that was different. She chose to go to Italy for a year not just for a cultural experience but for wanting to learn a new language. As she tells me often even today that had she chosen an English speaking country today, Italian would not be on her list of spoken and written languages. I must admit that her experiences and the stories she shared, opened up a new world for me too and I am immensely proud of her. A one and a half hour drive from Vadodara to Ahmedabad, therefore, obviously did not seem to matter and in fact proved to be worth every minute of my time.

A beautifully decorated ground exploding with myriad of colourful chaniya-cholis and people dancing was indeed inviting. Presented by AFS Intercultural Programs India and hosted by Ahmedabad Chapter titled "Garba for Global Peace", the evening was planned as an unique experience for its exchange students, in keeping with Gujarat's culture and tradition of "Garba" to celebrate Navratri, the 9-day festival of Goddess Durga.  The event was not just planned as a fun event but had an underlined focus and purpose - a fundraising campaign designed with a plan of using the donations received to create life-changing opportunities and scholarships for under served students to avail prestigious AFS exchange Programs. It was heartwarming to see over 50+ young exchange students from so many countries such as USA, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain, etc. and other supporters, on the ground dancing in one large circle to traditional music and songs. The exchange students dressed in traditional wear with head gear enjoying dancing the Garba, and actually non-stop too, with such perfection put me to shame. Of course, me being me, I did break into a dance too despite creaking knees, take a picture with the students and talk to them. When they expressed how much they were loving the experience of studying and living in India, it made truly understand the power of the program that my niece experienced.

Today, I when I look at my niece achieving great heights not just professionally but her confidence and the way she handles herself as a person, it makes me wish that I could have given my children an opportunity like that.  Imagine what it can give your child, if she/he were to take off to a new country and learn to live with a totally unknown family with their own rules of life. Today we pamper our children and everything is given to them on a platter but what Nishita learnt in 2010 and came back with,is so much more that just becoming independent. I see a true professional, values-driven, confident, tolerant of others, appreciative, understanding and extremely hard working woman. Such programs build intercultural friendship and create lifelong cultural memories and empower children to study abroad facilitated by trained AFS volunteers and staff in 60+ countries. AFS India is amongst the leading organizations in intercultural education and experience that focuses on life-changing opportunities.

When I returned back home I thought to myself that today with all the mayhem around us and despite all our differences, everyone who was there at the event was somehow connected as one with the hope of a happier and a more meaningful life. There is so much out there to learn and the world is so much bigger with incredibly more to offer, then why are we living like frogs in a well?  I find a friend in everyone who sits next to me for more than five minutes because I love to talk and share. Experiences and friendships add new meaning to my life and am sure to yours too!!

Instead of drifting along like a leaf in a river, understand who you are and

how you come across to people and what kind of an impact you

have on the people around you and the community around you and the world,

so that when you go out, you can feel you have made a positive difference ~Jane Fonda

For more information  about  AFS India  get in touch at aadil.fahim@afs.org or nishita.mehta@afs.org or call at (+91-9971148406) or (+91-8586925131)