Our life as individual beings can be, most of the time, likened to the things we love. Life for some can be likened to a movie, a road, an infinity pool, or a race (if they seem to like living life on the fast lane). But I would like to liken my own life to a thing I absolutely love: songs. Whether I’m on my tub, or travelling on my way to work or simply listening to a good friend sing her heartwarming songs (I hope she does not read this, joke!), songs are a good way of self-expression and communication.
St. Augustine of Hippo would often say that songs are for lovers, an ancient proverb of the Church would note as well that singing is praying twice. And for those born yesterday, a song that I like from the movie “The Book of Life” speaks eloquently about it;
“Live life like it's a song
so turn it on and sing along,
it's alright if it goes wrong,
just keep calm and carry on.”
(Jesse & Joy, Live Life from The Book of Life official soundtrack)
And one of the reasons why life is worth living is the gift of friendship. Just as how life can be eloquently expressed as a song, friendship is a song taken by two or more people. It makes sense to call life a web of friendships and relationships. Anyhow, these are the few things I mused about the song of friendship, which are really some few tips necessary to “sing” it well today.
1. This song demands someone to sing it along with- For most of us, karaokes are not fun if there is somebody to join us in singing, or simply just to make comments (puna) with our voice. Friendship as song demands a duet: two is always better than one. Friendship as song is to express one song beautifully as we can, not two separate songs sung at the same time (which is a veritable disaster!).
2. It often has high notes and low notes- We cannot choose which notes we are to sing. If we do “choose”, the song becomes meaningless and kaput. Performing the part of duets well demand that we sing all notes, regardless of anything, until the end. It may happen that the person may also go out of tune with the song, but a good person will not mind it. They must be able to keep themselves together from falling apart.
3. The song of friendship is best sung with the heart, not with the mind. Although a sane head is a necessary prerequisite for a good relationship, the ‘sanity’ of the heart matters as well. Just as much as the other tries to “be careful with your heart” (as Jose Mari Chan would popularly croon in one of his hits), you have to reciprocate it as well. Lest if you try, the worst happens.
4. The goal of the song is to love twice, thrice or even a lot of times. Without this primary requirement, we end up treating persons as strangers or mere acquaintances. Without the love present in the hearts of those involved, we unknowingly or knowingly use them.
The song of friendship is the song of the heart, the song of life and the song of God’s love. If we happened to forget all of these in the name of petty problems or other forms of rivalry, do not worry. There is always a second chance, a replay and an encore performance.
One day, let us hope that the Friend of us all, the Lord, will tell us that we have excellently performed this task, that of singing the communion of persons as a means towards the greater glory of God. Amen.
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