Old Friends, A Sappy Tribute

My college years were the best of times and the worst of times, as I'm sure is the case with many people. I met my husband, Ameet at the ripe age of eighteen and my very close friends Robin and Neelesh. I didn't grow up with any family besides my parents and sister in this country, and though my parents had friends in the community, there was always a distance that pervaded those relationships. I always felt this strange tinge of sadness when we'd go traveling during the holidays, just the four of us, because it always felt like something was missing, like it was just us in the world. The worst part was that inevitably, my parents would get into some horrible fight, and things would go from being already stressful to even worse. I think this is why my sister and I are so close, because we often had to learn to function in a home with lots of love, but an air of unhappiness. But as I've gotten older, I've been very lucky to develop a close bond with so many friends--friends who I could call in the best or worst of times. I think Robin, Neelesh, Ameet and I have supported each other through some crazy times in San Francisco. We've seen each other go through layoffs, and breakups, addictions and debts. Inevitably, we've had lots of fun and lots of memories. But in the end, I think having those memories it's what's most important. This is an old photo of us looking very constipated, going to a wedding.