this is for my soul sister

I’ve been thinking about this during the exam period so much such that it feels as if I’ve ended my exams in anticipation to write this. I’m not good at springing surprises, and this is the closest to a surprise that I can come up with. I remember returning from Langkawi- sunbaked and tired, to a heartfelt Facebook wall post and I ran through the message over and over, highlighting the parts I liked while smiling sheepishly at the computer screen. This is a note of appreciation disguised as a belated birthday greeting:

I can’t remember how we gave each other the affectionate soul-sister label but it birthed out of a frivolous incident and was given meaning through the weeks and months after. For all the details that I’ve forgotten, the memories that stay close to my heart make up for it. The most vivid ones are the long conversations we’ve had. I read somewhere that solitude doesn’t come from being alone but from meaningless interaction and it is no wonder I have never felt empty when I’m with you. Thank you for the nights you rang me up when I needed it, for being my constant helpline, for those precious sleepover sessions-- for giving me so much more than I’ve given you. You told me before that life is not in the big prizes won, but life is a constant struggle to move from today to tomorrow. And this sisterhood we share is a gift prized more than any other achievement, tiny or huge. Happy twenty-second MK. And for all the tomorrows to come, I hope for you to be as happy as happy can be. : )