Hi everyone. Good morning. My last post was early January. I am suffering from a severe case of writers block and that is why I have not posted. I hope I can get back on track.

But today’s post is in memory of a friend. My friend AKD who was the same age as me, passed away in his sleep on Jan 31st. I fondly called him Lambya, which means tall in my native language, Marathi. Lambya was my brother from another mother. In college, he and I were inseparable. He was my friend, philosopher and guide. He was like a member of my family. His wife and I share the same birthday and she is like a sister to me.

I remember our college days when we spent time studying for exams. In my first year, a friend had rented a room in the college dorm. We used to go there during exams and drink strong tea or coffee so we could stay up and study for exams. We used to pull allnighters and then wake up and go to the exam. But from my second year, I used to go to Lambya’s house to study. After dinner, I used to ride my bike to his house. We used to study at night and then I used to have some breakfast and go home. His family also treated me like a member. We were a fixture at each other’s houses for religious ceremonies and special occasions. I came to the US in 1987, but we still kept in touch. I went back to India after 7 years and when I got out of immigration and customs, I saw Lambya standing there with my family. When I went to India in 1995, after my dad had passed away, Lambya was there at the airport. Every time I went to India, I made it a point to visit him. And every time it was like I had never left. If I was on my deathbed, besides my family, I would have wanted him by my side. Words cannot describe what he meant to me.

When I heard the news of his passing, I was shocked and could not believe it. I felt helpless. The last time I saw him was in Jan 2016. As recently as this January, we had shared our recent family pictures. I wish we had done so many things. So rest in peace my dear friend and may your soul be one with God.

I just want to say to everyone, if you have been lucky enough to be blessed with a friend like Lambya, reach out to them today and tell them what they mean to you. If possible visit them have a drink with them or whatever, but make the most of the time you have with them. Same thing goes for your family, close or living far away. Also, open that bottle of wine that you have been saving for a special occasion, take that trip that you put off, in other words don’t wait for tomorrow. I regret the fact that Lambya never visited me in the US.

Peace and Love!