Archive for the ‘On Friendship’ Category
Friday, October 29th, 2010
My friend is back on Facebook!
I got really worried about her. She’s experiencing quite a hardship right now. The whole family knows her, especially my mom and my sisters. So when I told them what’s happening to her, they are as worried as I am.
I can relate to what she’s been going through. I was once there, in that very same situation, where no clear solution was in sight. I was in that same situation wherein all your friends could only offer prayers and empty words of support. I say empty because no matter how concerned a friend is, it won’t mean anything to the person experiencing the hardship until it ends. That’s when the offers of support will take form and meaning to the person being given it. Until then, the words will mean nothing.
I am still praying for her. Whenever I see her name, I say a little prayer for her. I want her to rise above the challenge she is facing right now and soon. She has kids who are depending on her for strength. So I am not only praying for a solution to her problem but also for the good Lord to give her more strength and endurance in this tough times.
Monday, October 18th, 2010
I would like to believe that I’m a good friend. I will lend a helping hand as much as I can. If and when I can’t offer any help, I’ll at least be there for moral support.
It really pains me now that I can’t do anything for a friend of mine. I can’t help her financially so I’ve been helping with prayers. I am also allocating time to listen to her woes. Which are the only things that I can do for her right now.
She’s undergoing a very tough time in her life and she’s on the verge of giving up. I am praying really hard that she will overcome this hurdle. Soon.
I’ll just be here for her through thick and thin. She can count on that.
Monday, September 20th, 2010
Yesterday was my sister’s birthday. As tradition in our family, we celebrated it by going out and having lunch together. The whole family. We had a blast and we were so full! 
September is a busy month for the family. There are three birthdays to celebrate and my mom’s death anniversary to commemorate. And two friends of mine also celebrate their birthdays this month. Busy month!
Next Sunday will be our youngest brother’s birthday. I am thinking of just having dinner at home because he will be out for his thesis defense that day. And then my mom’s death anniversary so we will go visit her grave.
Busy, busy!
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
I was once very active in blogging activities. In almost every EB, I was there. I even reached Batangas City by myself because I wanted to meet two bloggers I became close to. But since my priorities shifted, I became inactive and eventually lost touch with most of them.
Two of the many bloggers I met in the past were Cai of the Pink Urinal and Des of Fingertalks. I became really good friends with them. Cai is still around, still active with local blogging activities. We still talk from time to time. But I was closer to Des and she’s the one I miss the most. She went abroad to work there with her husband. We lost communication because according to her, internet connection in her location was horrible. The last time we talked, she told me that she’s going to lose her blog because of problems with her host. And that she wouldn’t be able to talk to us for quite sometime because of the net problems.
I was suddenly reminded of our girl talks, Cai, Des and I. I miss the girls! I don’t miss being active in local blogging activities but I miss bonding with the friends I made through blogging.
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
I love Facebook! There are persons with whom I hardly ever talk to back in school that I am now friends with in Facebook. Imagine that! And I actually like being friends with them.
There is this one particular girl back in grade school that I was so irritated with. I don’t think we ever exchanged words in school. But these days, she even leaves a comment in my personal blog! Given a chance, I do think we can be good friends offline.
Looking back, I think I was too territorial and because of that, I limited myself to only a few friends. Sayang din.
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I love Facebook!
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
I can’t understand why some people will add you as a friend in Facebook and then will proceed to ignore you after. There were some old high school friends who added me as a friend but who didn’t even say a single word to me, not a “hi” or “hello”. No, I am not guilty of the same thing. In fact, with some, I was the one who initiated the kumustahan.
It made me think once again of “pruning” my list of friends. Those whom I haven’t talked to or those who I think is not interested in rekindling the friendship I once had with them, I’ll remove from my list. Imagine, I had these two really close friends back in freshman high. I said hi and asked them how they are now. Dedma! Not a single word from them. But there’s this one guy I haven’t spoken to in high school but is constantly leaving comments in my status updates and would often say hi to me.
Later, I will start the “pruning”!
Friday, June 18th, 2010
I had this childhood crush on a neighbor of ours. He lived at the house across our own. I remember he used to smile at me and I was so kinikilig that I couldn’t think of anything else but that smile.
We became friends, sort of. He would give me little things and I would not accept lest my parents get wind of what’s happening to my little thumping heart. If I am not mistaken, he was five years older than I.
Eventually, I outgrew my childhood crush. I still saw him from time to time. He was no longer living in the house across but his sister still lives there with her family. A few years ago, his sister told my dad that he died due to a riot in their province. He was not even a part of the riot but was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was just in his late 20′s and I couldn’t believe it when my dad told me. He was a big man with an obvious zest for life.
The last time I saw him alive, he smiled at me but I didn’t smile back. I wasn’t in the mood that time, stressed out from work. I should have smiled and said hi.
Friday, May 14th, 2010
I had goose bumps all over my body when I got the text message from my friend Benedict. His wife’s gone. Just like that. Just hours after she gave birth to their beautiful second child Zoe. In a blink of an eye, she’s gone.
He posted a photo of his wife on his wall in Facebook at 8pm the night before. He captioned it as “excited, can’t wait to give birth” in the vernacular. Who would have thought that just mere hours after that photo of her smiling while on a hospital bed she would be gone? It’s preposterous! It’s totally unexpected! Who would have thought? Nobody, I tell you. No one among us Ben’s friends expected that it would all end in a tragedy. She was full of life. They got married in church only less than six months ago where Hazel was one of the three flower girls. She was even dancing at the end of their reception. She even bussed us on the cheeks and thanked us for attending. And then now, she’s gone.
Nobody dies at that age. 32. So young. She just gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. She had a full life ahead of her with her husband and two adorable kids. Gabbie, their firstborn and my goddaughter, is already going to school. She’s only turning 4 by October. She’s too young. I still can’t believe that she wouldn’t be posting updates on her Facebook account. We’re friends there. We were not really close but she’s my good friend’s wife and that’s more than enough for me to care for her.
Naturally, Ben was devastated. That one line that he texted me told me so much about the anguish he was feeling at that moment. I wanted to go to him and comfort him. I wanted to just be there for my friend in his time of need. But of course, he needed to be with his love ones. He needed his last moments with his wife. I knew he knew we would be there for him. Tim and I. And Jing and Shen and the rest of the gang.
He will carry on and be a stronger person for their two kids, Gabbie and Zoe. They need him now more than ever. Ben will surely be a good dad and mom to his kids. I know the good Lord has given Ben this test because he can overcome all this. The Lord will be his guide and his partner in rearing both his kids. And we, his friends, will just be here to support him every step of the way. I wish I can do more than that but I don’t know how or what.
Ben, you will always be in my prayers. Strength, acceptance and healing. God bless you, my inaanak Gabbie, and little Zoe.
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
With Ava’s death, I became paranoid. I am actually worrying for a friend who suspects herself to be pregnant. Imagine this, Ava went to the hospital already 5cm open. I am not sure of the right term but mom friends told me that that only meant she was ready to give birth. It was supposed to be a simple medical procedure that turned to nightmare for Ben and Ava. I was really freaked out when I learned about it.
It could happen to any one. It could happen to any woman about to give birth. Even when you are giving birth in a really expensive and well-known hospital, things can go wrong. I am worried and getting paranoid and I know that only God knows what happens to our future.
All we can do is pray that things will turn out right.
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Why is it that we often see the people we miss a lot during wakes and funerals? It’s bad ano? But have you noticed how you would see uncle this and aunt that during the wake of a relative? Ganoon naman yata lagi.
I saw old high school friends during Ava’s wake. I saw both those that I wanted to see again and those I never want to see ever. Ben was one of the nicest guys in our batch and it’s no wonder we is well-loved. When news broke out of his wife’s death, so many people asked me where the wake’s venue would be. It was clear they wanted to pay their respects to Ben’s wife even though most of them have not met her in person yet. It was for the love of Ben that they wanted to go to the wake.
And so I saw those people again. It was not a good place to reunite with old friends but that was what happened. It was bittersweet to tell the truth. It could have been a happy occasion but with the death of a dear friend’s wife, the unexpected reunion was marred with sadness.
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
I read a text message from a friend who needed financial help. She, her mom and her kids are going to the province tomorrow for her dad’s first death anniversary. She’s asking for any amount that I can give her and she’ll pay it back by the time she gets a job. Which is still very much uncertain as she was supposed to fly out of the country to work in the Middle East as a Respiratory Therapist but until now she’s still here.
Anyway, I was not able to help her. It’s really bad timing. I just paid my brother’s summer tuition fee in full the other day. The next remittance coming in will be next week and my sister is also flying out of the country so every extra penny I have is already budgeted. I couldn’t risk finding myself short of cash.
I feel guilty. I told my sister about it and she told me that I shouldn’t. If I had extra cash with me and I refused to help, then I should feel guilty about it. But still, it’s my prerogative if I want to lend her some or not. I know that. I still feel guilty because I was once in her position, texting close friends to ask for financial help. I know the feeling of rejection. I know the feeling of being denied help. I know how uncertain tomorrow looks for someone who has no money and no one to turn to. That’s why I feel so darn guilty about not being able to help.
If I only have extra cash with me, I would have given it to her. But family comes first. Still…
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
When we were still talking about going to Baguio, I told my friends that we should go to Choco-late de Batirol. The place was featured a couple of times in different local shows. It is well-known for its delicious hot choco. And we did. We went to Choco-late de Batirol and we ordered each a cup of the traditional choco. Yum!
It tastes nutty much like the chocnut that we Filipinos love. A cup is enough to give you the surge of energy you need.
Be sure to drop by Choco-late de Batirol if you are in Baguio. It is located inside Camp John Hay.
Filed under On Friendship 
