Bittersweet nostalgia hit me.

Sophia had been one of my closest friends at school. I recalled the fun we had shared from raving about the latest boy bands and stressing over exams, to our heart-to-heart conversations about love and life.

When secondary school ended, Sophia left for Australia to study while I stayed on in our hometown, Penang. We promised to keep in touch - and did, at first. However, as our lives took different turns, so did our friendship.

The e-mails and text messages dwindled; the catching-up sessions became rare. And when we did meet, it was difficult to pick up from where we had left off. The conversations felt stilted and - unlike a few years before - could no longer go beyond surface issues.

It was as if our friendship had reached a natural death.

Deep down, I think the main reason such a strong bond disintegrated is change, and more extensively, growing up.

After leaving school, Sophia and I had different experiences, led different lives. Our interests and ideals, once so similar, had diverged.

Often, growing up involves growing apart, even from friends, because our notions of friendship differ as we mature.

In kindergarten, your idea of a best friend could have been the boy who always lent you his crayons; in primary school, it might have been the one who went for recess with you; in university, it could well be someone who shares your outlook in life.

Perhaps change also explains why it is impossible to stay close to all our bosom buddies, despite the fervent vows to "keep in touch". Somewhere down the line, each of us will change, such that it becomes increasingly difficult to bridge the gap formed by time.

Rather, we share out ups an downs with various friends at different points in our lives - and are content to have merely a handful of close pals whose friendships have indeed withstood the test of time.

While come-and-go friends are inevitable, I believe each of them touch us in different but important ways. John, that football buddy you had 10 years ago, or Mary, whose shoulder you cried on when your heart got broken for the first time, are people who add colour to our lives simply by being there.

Through their words and actions, friends touch our lives and help shape us into who we are, and who we will be.

Yet, although the bonds may gradually fade, they often leave indelible marks. The sharing, conflicts, fun and laughter; such memories remind us to count our blessings that we had the chance to cross paths with these people, if only for a fleeting moment.

The memories keep us down-to-earth, because when we realise how much we have gone through with our pals, we will inevitably appreciate them - and others dear to us - even more.

Also, by remembering how they loved, laughed, cried and bonded with us, we will, in turn, know how to do the same and pass on the the joy of friendship to others. Perhaps them, can we truly let go of a bond while still holding on to it.

And it was with this thought that I closed Sophia's card and carefully placed it back in the drawer, a smile on my face.

Written by Quah Chin Chin, News Editor of The Nanyang Chronicles. If you wanna this down due to copyright and the likes, just leave a message at the tagboard. =D.

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