成人快手

From Remona Aly, Freelance journalist and editor:

Last weekend, I was sardined in a box room with a glitterball, a Tina Turner wig and 15 unhinged women. We charged at karaoke like bulls to a red rag, to mark a best friend鈥檚 milestone birthday.聽

Before we鈥檇 let loose with terrifically appalling versions of 鈥楽weet Child o鈥� Mine鈥�, 鈥楳r Brightside鈥� and 鈥楴othing鈥檚 Gonna Stop Us Now鈥�, our female troupe had taken some vows together over tea and cake. 鈥淒early beloved鈥�, I addressed the congregation of uni friends, colleagues, and kindred spirits, 鈥渨e are gathered here today to join this woman, with all these women.鈥澛�

There followed a series of wedding style speeches, running mascara, and bursts of laughter as we celebrated the milestone through the marriage of friendship, love and sisterhood.聽

That night, I thought of how life鈥檚 milestones are places you do not reach on your own. Back in the day, they were used as markers to tell you how far you鈥檇 come, reassure you that you鈥檙e on the right path, and point you towards your next destination. That came home to me as I looked around the room, and realised how milestones are measured in true friendships.聽

It was due to a profound friendship, that Rumi, a bookish Muslim scholar, turned into a universal love poet, after he met Shams Tabrizi, a wandering holy man, who was to become his mentor and greatest friend. Eight centuries later, I feel that Shams is the reason that Rumi is one of the world鈥檚 bestselling poets.

Friends can do that to you. They save you, they lift you, they can shape you and even your legacy. And when it鈥檚 a friend of mine who is succeeding, I feel their achievement becomes my own too. As Rumi writes, probably addressing Shams, 鈥淭he beauty you see in me, is a reflection of you. Friend, our closeness is this: anywhere you put your foot, feel me in the firmness under you.鈥�

I think of the friends I鈥檝e had in the past, the ones I hold now, the ones I鈥檓 yet to meet, and I know they will always be part of the path I tread, and the milestones we will reach together. Like last weekend when I sang in my awful karaoke voice to my beloved friend on her birthday: we can build this thing together, stand this stormy weather, nothing's gonna stop us now.