Celebrating International Day of Friendship

When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we can know. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friendship is one of the most invaluable treasures in life, so much so that there is a dedicated International Day of Friendship to celebrate these bonds. Friends often become our chosen family, providing support, love, and companionship, sometimes being the only family we have.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson beautifully put it, “When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we can know.” This quote perfectly captures the essence of true friendship—a bond that is unwavering and steadfast, even in the face of life's challenges.

Throughout my journey, I have been blessed with friendships that have stood the test of time, while some have faded away. Since being diagnosed with endometriosis, I have witnessed certain friendships grow stronger and deeper. These friends have proven to be reliable, full of love and care, standing by me through countless hospital visits, last-minute cancellations, and moments of pain and despair. They have never left my side, and for that, I am profoundly grateful. It hasn't been all grim and gloomy. We've had some countless, beautiful memories and fabulous times together.

These incredible women are my rocks, my prayer warriors, and my heroes. They have their own moments of joy and hardship, yet they have chosen to stay by my side. They could have walked away, but instead, they have remained my steadfast companions—my ride or dies.

Today, I want to take a moment to honour these amazing friends and share some cherished memories and snippets of our journey together. Join me as I celebrate the solidest things I know—my true friendships.

1. Sylvia

   

   Sylvia and I

   From strangers attending church together, always seated on the same row, to besties who can't go a week without talking. I used to watch her at church, arriving and leaving with her girls. I loved their bond and I loved her from afar, and I constantly prayed to God for us to become friends. Not forgetting that she has a creative side, which meant we had lots in common. Sylvia and I then became friends from mid 2017 when she joined the organisation that I was working for, and our bond has grown from strength to strength, from colleagues to besties. Time always flies by whenever we spend time together. I've watched all her girls grow into amazing young women. She's both a (young) mother and good friend to me, and I've appreciated all the guidance, prayers and laughs that we've shared between us. And I thank the Lord everyday for answering my prayer and making Syl my bestie.

   
   

2. Lynn

   

   Lynn and I

   I'm sure you can tell that age ain't nothing but a number when it comes to my friends. Lynn and I also became friends after working together. We were also attending the same church for sometime, before becoming colleagues and besties. When I think back, I actually realise that it's because of my husband that Lynn and I became friends. Lynn found my husband very attractive and had a little crush. So we'd have a couple of laughs over how she would've been happy to marry him if she wasn't already taken. Lynn, Sylvia and I worked together and we'd often treat ourselves to catch-ups over cheesecake and water (because water cancels out the calories gained from cheesecake 😉😉). The three of us resigned and moved on to pastures new at around the same time, and our bond still remains strong. Lynn lives in a different town now, but thanks to Meta, we are never short of catch-ups via very, VERY long voicenotes. I actually make a cup of tea to enjoy while listening to Lynn's series of voicenote catch-ups. Lynn's endless prayers and words of wisdom keep me going, always.

   
   

3. Nolwazi

   

   Nolwazi and I

   My dearest Snoli. Friends since the late 90s while in primary school. Yes, that's how young we are. We still share giggles like we did back in school. Many people don't know, but we developed a secret code/alphabet to use when exchanging letters, so that our 'gossip' would go by undetected. We even had secret names, but I won't tell you what they are, cause we still use them 😊😊. Why letters? We didn't have WhatsApp or social media back in the day. Letters were our way of communicating between classes and after hours. We didn't post them. Just exchanged them by hand. I always looked forward to those letters. To this day, I still have my letters from Nolwazi, there to cheer me up on difficult days. When we got to the end of our high school years, she was dubbed head girl and I was right on her trail as the deputy head girl. She was and still is a very smart girl and I'm so proud of all of her achievements, and proud to call her my bestie. Our friendship has stood the test of time and distance, thanks to prayers and now, IMs and social media. If I could see her every month, I would totally do that.

   
   

4. Wendy

   

   Wendy and I

   Wendy and I started off as colleagues too (my goodness, so many friends from work). We also attended the same church and on top of that, we were neighbours - she lived in the complex next door to mine. Despite all of this, we hadn't met until one of our junior pastors introduced us to one another, after I told him that I'm originally from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). So he thought, he could bring together the two Swazi girls. Wendy was always this stylish girl, is very tall and almost always in heels. She's gorgeous, and I admired her and really wanted us to be friends. It was such a blessing that we were introduced because before we knew it, we became very good friends. A brilliant, self-driven young woman. And I'm so glad that even though we moved on from our previously shared employer, our friendship has continued. She's also seen me at my worst, having driven me to hospital for a check-up which led to an admission after one of my endo-related episodes, before I was diagnosed and was still not sure what was wrong with me. With my husband out of town, she drove to our house and packed an overnight bag for me. And since then, every time, without fail, after I've had surgery and I've been discharged, Wendy pops by for a visit to check up on me with my favourites - strawberries and grapes 😊😊.

   
   

5. Busi

   

   Busi and I

   So, Busi and I didn't start off as colleagues 😊😊. We were introduced by her then boyfriend, now husband. I grew up with her husband and him, my brother and I were like the three musketeers. Her husband's parents were good friends of my parents. When we were still very young, his family moved back to South Africa. Our parents still kept in touch so we saw one another from time to time - less often. Once Busi and hubby started dating, he at some point mentioned my brother and I being good friends. Obvioulsy, having a good friend of the opposite sex raises eyebrows so she had to meet me to investigate if I was a threat. And of course I was not. When I met Busi, I thought she was this very quiet, timid, God-fearing girl. I was wrong. She was and is anything but quiet and timid. Over the years, the laughs and good counsel I've received from Busi have been nothing short of memorable. She's more than a mother of three and wife. Busi is a confident, brilliantly smart, driven, dedicated, funny and amazing woman, and I'm proud to call her my bestie.

   
   

6. Zeenath

   

   Zeenath and I

   Zee, another colleague turned bestie. I wouldn't have survived the last few months of work with our shared employer, without the giggles and conversations. From the very first time that I heard Zeenath's laugh, I knew that we were meant to be besties. Zee's resilience and talents drew me close to her and had me looking up to her. Such a powerhouse of a woman. Not forgetting her amazing koeksisters. I had to make a conscious decision to stop ordering those cause I could see an addiction coming on. Zee has been such an inspiration to me and she's checked up on me and prayed for me even during her most challenging times, and I pray that I've been the same kind of friend to her as she's been to me.

   
   

7. Zwakele

   

   Zwakele and I

   My childhood bestie, Zwaki, has known me all her life and vice versa. Our parents were besties. My parents attended her parent's wedding, and my parents attended her parent's wedding. Her little brother was also good friends with my little brother. Her mother is my mother and she is like a sister to me and vice versa (again). We'd visit for almost a week during every other school holiday break. The games we'd play, and the shows we'd put on for our parents. Her family also eventually relocated to South Africa. At some point, we lost touch for a bit, but during the peak of Facebook in our youthful days, we were soon back in contact. How wonderful it was to reconnect when I visited Cape Town for the first time, and we arranged a catch-up cause she was studying that side with her brother. We met one afternoon and it was as though we'd never been apart. It was myself, my brother, my mother, Zwakele and her little brother. I still have the photos. And some years after that, I attended her wedding together with my husband (then boyfriend), and she and her husband attended our wedding. Just like our parents did. Zwakele has checked up on me and prayed for me, and even though we don't see one another often enough, she's my sister for life.

   
   

In honouring these incredible friends, I also want to acknowledge my amazing family members who have my back just as much as these cherished friends. They too are my besties and ride or dies, always there for me through thick and thin. Although I may not see everyone as often as I wish, I'm grateful for the times we do connect—whether through a quick phone call, a heartfelt text message, or one of our typically long voice notes. And of course, our lunch dates and face-to-face catch-ups remain the highlight of my days.

I count myself incredibly lucky and blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. Even if you have just one or two true friends in your corner, cherish those bonds deeply. Friendship isn't about the quantity but the quality of the connections we make. It's about expressing love, care, and support in ways that genuinely matter.

As I reflect on my journey and the beautiful souls who have stood by me, my heart beams with gratitude. True friendship is one of life's greatest gifts, and I am profoundly thankful for each and every person who has walked this path with me, even those who are not featured in this post.

Signed

#EndoWarriorH