Would you confess your love or just let things shape up over time? Find out what we’d do! Someone is an angel this week and someone else imparts wisdom! Let’s find out!

We were seated in our living room. There was Megan, myself and Adrian. We were talking about why people need to utter those three magical words. Adrian felt that two people can be in love and in each other’s company without the need to express their love. Megan agreed with him partially, saying that people do need to feel a sort of perception about being loved, something that cannot be fully expressed in words. They turned to look at me for my views on this.

I felt hopelessly in favor of expressing your love when you felt it. I couldn’t think of any other way. If it was a complicated situation, like falling for your best friend when there was clearly no hope of reciprocation, even then I feel one must let the secret out. Love is like boiling water, you cannot hide the steam from wafting out. I believe in being honest about your feelings. “And anyway,” I concluded, “that special one will come to know when you hug. You can’t control that!” They both seemed very taken in by the last comment I made!

Kate has earned some cool brownie points from Ethan and Emily, Donna’s children. They wanted to go shopping but Donna didn’t have the time. When Kate heard about this, she volunteered to help them out. Kate scheduled her work in a way to make out half a day. Donna was astounded, “Half a day? They won’t be taking that long!” Kate calmly replied, “I was their age, too! Trust me!” Donna shrugged her shoulders, though not without a generous dose of thank you mutterings.

So off the trio went! Sure as Kate said, they did take the whole afternoon, picking things up. It was a one of a kind experience. They had great fun, more so because Kate is more of their age and times. Kate understood what they were looking for and with her added advantage of being experienced about matters, she helped out Ethan and Emily like only she could! Emily was specially hooked because like Kate, Emily has a predominantly romantic heart. Last heard, Ethan told Donna, “Let’s meet up with her soon! She’s an angel!”

I was reading the other day that not having enough friends in your life is akin to being a chain smoker! The report meant that if you did not have friends to share your life with, if you did not have someone to let your hair down and relax, you are actually doing a lot of harm to your mental health. It may seem like an absurd comparison to make, but on closer inspection, the truth emerges like stage-props after the curtain rises. It’s more so for people who have immersed themselves in pursuits.

Friendship may have changed its definition with time, but it still remains the pivot to which your well-being is tied. There’s nothing that a good friend and a heart-to-heart conversation cannot take care of. Through these newsletters I have shared those umpteen instances when friends pulled me out of tight situations, not to mention landing me in many of those! But each time, our friendship has come out stronger. If you have not called your friend for whatever reason lately, do it now!

Last week I told you about this place that Ryan is going for meditative solutions to stress-related problems. Thanks to the machinations he’s picking up there, he’s now a self-proclaimed guide on anyone with work issues. He has a very expansive philosophy on this: “Don’t bleed. Nurse!” He tried his fancy new concept on a colleague, Deborah. When he got nothing but quizzed eyebrows, Ryan cared to explain. He means that if you are not happy with what you are doing, don’t complain, just move on to what you want to do!

Deborah retorted back, “Where are you, in paradise?” Ryan was astounded that his theory didn’t impress her, or anybody for that matter. I can understand what Deborah could have meant, though she was way too disgusted to make it clear. In an age where people are trying to do their best with whatever opportunities they have on their hands, it’s nothing but misplaced optimism to think everyone can do what they want to and be paid for that. Someone rightly said that philosophy is for the well-fed. In everyday life, you just got to fight it out, even if your hands are tied.

Here’s a Buddha quote to keep you pushing on the pedal: “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.”