THE HEARTBEAT OF HUMAN CONNECTION

"I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you." — Samwise Gamgee

There are fundamental pillars that hold our world together; things like gravity, oxygen, and the yellow ball of gas up there and I would love to add Friendship.

I like to see friendship as, a sacred bond where two or more people agree to suffer through traffic together, help each other hide jollof rice from the party crowd, and give honest opinions about whether the clothes you’re wearing truly fit or it's "just manage."

Many of us might not fully grasp how friendship slips into our lives, like the cool evening breeze on a hot Nsukka afternoon. One day you’re minding your business, and before you know it, you’re getting unsolicited advice about your love life from someone who has never had a relationship longer than a month. Friendship is that unexpected familiarity, the comfort of knowing that if you accidentally lose your phone at a party, someone’s already pulling out theirs to help you track it down or at least laugh about it with you.

It’s beautiful—this mutual exchange of laughter, complaints, and endless banter. Sometimes it’s about enduring long queues together at the ATM, sharing the misery of watching your bank app freeze when you're trying to transfer money, or simply having someone to rant with about how Nigeria decided to surprise you again today.

In a world where everyone seems to be in a hurry—rushing to catch the next big opportunity, the next promotion, or just trying to survive—friendship slows things down. It’s those small, quiet moments that remind you not to take life too seriously. Like when you’ve had a long day and a friend sends a message saying, "Omo, you dey try." It’s that gentle affirmation that life isn’t just about hustling—it’s also about holding on to those who make the hustle worthwhile.

And let’s not forget how friendship sometimes demands sacrifice. Whether it’s giving up your front seat for your friend to stretch out in the back or pretending you weren’t mad when they finished the last piece of suya, friendship teaches us a version of love that is more every day, more rooted in the ordinary. It’s about staying up late to keep them company when they have work to do or sharing your last recharge card just so they can call home.

In the end, friendship is that unspoken promise. It says, "Even when the world isn’t kind, I’ll be kind to you." It's in the little moments, the inside jokes, and the unshakable belief that no matter what life throws at us, we don’t have to face it alone. Because when all is said and done, friendship is the heartbeat of human connection—the rhythm that keeps us going, the pulse that reminds us that even in the hardest moments, we are not alone.