A FRIENDSHIP REVISITED

 A Friendship Revisited

Some connections span decades, stretching across time and distance, waiting quietly to be remembered.

I first knew him many years ago, back when I had just arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Life took him to Australia with his girlfriend, and over the years, our paths drifted apart. We lost contact, as sometimes happens, until two years ago, in the most unexpected of ways.

I was on a weekend holiday in Port Dickson, staying in a tepee, having dinner at the ranch’s bar. Out of nowhere, a man approached me, asking if I knew a certain girl and another friend’s name. I looked at him, puzzled, and then I asked: “Are you …?” And just like that, decades melted away. We hardly recognized each other, yet there was an immediate spark of recognition. It was the beginning of our reconnection.

Over the last two years, we shared small moments, mostly when he visited Malaysia. I learned of his life, the divorce, his daughter, his remarriage, his new daughter … and though life had carried him on many journeys, our friendship quietly resumed its place in the tapestry of my life.

Then, two days ago, I saw the family’s post on Facebook. He had passed away. My heart sank. I cried. The shock of loss mingled with the sweetness of having known him again, if only briefly. I reached out to the ranch owner, his close friend, and we shared in our disbelief and sorrow.

And the ranch owner said this to me;

“Yes, it is tough to lose the ones we love,  but we have hope that there will be a Resurrection. As JWs we believe in the Resurrection hope. So we are very sure of meeting him again in the very near future”.  

Life is unpredictable. Some connections return when we least expect them, bringing joy and warmth. And even when those connections are fleeting, they leave an imprint, a reminder that love, friendship, and recognition can transcend years and distance.

Notes / What I Felt:

Reconnecting with him felt like a secret gift from life, a reminder that even after decades, bonds can quietly reappear. Grief is heavier when it follows such rare, unexpected joy. Yet I carry gratitude in my heart; for the laughter, the recognition, the brief time we shared again.

Even in loss, there is presence; the memory, the warmth, the echo of friendship threading quietly through my days.

Though his time has ended here, the memory of our friendship, its surprises, laughter, and reconnections, will quietly thread through my heart, reminding me of the beauty of bonds that endure beyond years and distance.