Enjoy it while you have it

The following is a feedback found in today's StarMag on page 3.... enjoy

LEO Benedictus' article (Where do all the friends go?) last week was something that took me many years to figure out: What happened to my friendships? I have loads of poems in my autograph book from my schooldays declaring friendships that are forever. I really thought then that friends are really meant to be like that.  
Years back, I met someone who had a peculiar philosophy towards friendship. She said she didn’t cling to a friendship; when one friendship ended, she would move on and find another. I thought then how unfeeling of her. A decade later, I finally understood her.  
As we go though life, we may have old friendships that turned out to be a farce and old acquaintances who become good friends. I have still friends from my Primary One days, but how much are we able to share when our lives have taken such different turns from each other and personalities have evolved totally from the days of innocent schooldays?  
I have had friends whose company I used to enjoy, whom I had trusted. But after many years, I came to realise their true character is such that if I did not put some distance now, there would be a day of betrayal later. More sad though, is having friends pass on and knowing that there is no more chance to pick the phone and say, “Where are you? How about lunch?” and no e-mail to write. One night a friend died and when I got home, I found his last e-mail. It's still there in my folder, three years later.  
Suddenly I understood the meaning of those words – When a friendship ends, move on and find another. Now, going into the fourth decade of my life, my philosophy towards friendship is very simple. 
When I make a new friend whom I want to keep for good, I will put my heart into it. Be as good a friend as I can. Treasure each moment I have with this friend. Really look at this person and listen to him or her, remember his/her little actions, little likes and dislikes that make up this person and when the friendship ends, either due to fading out or death, at least I know I have done my best and what I have is an page of that encounter in the book of my life.That is all I can do.  
SA, Subang Jaya, Selangor