Lost ... and found

Quite some time ago I happened to 'meet' someone on the world wide web. What I didn't know at the time was that this person would become a great friend. We wrote long e-mails to each other and eventually met. It was pure platonic friendship.

As is often the case, personal and professional duties got in the way and we grew apart.

Some things we lose in life can be replaced, mostly if they happen to be material. Still, some material things carry with them deep meaning and remembrance of the occasion they had been given to us and of the person making the donation. When something is lost it makes us take care of the things that are left, hopefully never to be lost.

Some other situations are completely gone with the wind never to be retrieved again. All that is left is regret and in some cases a deep sense of solitude. This occurs with the loss of a dear friend or a person that meant a lot. It also happens when we lose temporary mobility through injury, sometimes taking for granted all the precious gifts that we have.

Occasionally there is a ray of light peeping through the greyness of heavy clouds, and what was taken away returns. I found the friend I lost contact with years ago. Yes, you guess right. Friendship was found again on the world wide web. I still cannot believe I struck gold. We are communicating again through long e-mails and looking forward to meet again, a though we never grew apart.

That is the meaning of true friendship. Whatever has happened, we're on our feet again and there is no more loneliness.