The very first dinner I attended after my wedding wasn’t with people my age. It was hosted by someone almost twice as old as me. That evening, the table had just six of us: three couples, with the other two being well into their late 30s.

At first, it felt unusual. I had always imagined friendship as something that happened within the same age group; people walking the same stage of life as me. Yet slowly, life kept placing me in circles where most people were at least five years older, and often fifteen or more.

And you know what? I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Over time, these people have become so much more than friends. I may not share every little detail of my daily life with them, but in their own quiet, steady ways, they’ve stood by me in moments where no one my age could have. They bring a different kind of wisdom, stability, and perspective—things that come with time, and things that can’t always be found in same-age friendships.

What I’ve learned is this: a friend of every age plays a different role. Some push you, some guide you, some simply stand beside you without saying much at all. And together, they weave a support system far richer than I had ever imagined.

Age really doesn’t matter in friendship—it’s the bond that counts.

Here's to that dinner and the friends I made for a lifetime - Surabhi Srivastava, Simran Sahnj, & Sachin Sahni.