Ma-Keso

Mushy, mushy, mushy. Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy. Whatever. Been quite sentimental these past days and thought I’d just pour it all out on paper. Wanted to write a little something on the lines of birthday bliss (Yeah! No more birthday blues…), birthday gratitude, and birthday sentiments, but decided to do otherwise. After all, it’s already the 11^th of April and it’s no longer my birthday. So I decided to write about friendship. And, though technically, it isn’t really an ode, here goes my ode to friendship.

An Ode to Friendship

Friendship. Friends. There was this time in my life when I longed for that kind of covenant relationship that transcends time, distance, and every barrier, a time when I yearned to know what it was like to have true friends who’d be there for you no matter what. I had close acquaintances then, but none that I could really call friends. That time of my life marked my loneliest days, days when I felt so alone and so unloved.

I’m glad those days are over.

I celebrated my 21^st birthday with my some of my friends the other day. I’m not sure if it was Shiela or Adrian who asked me this question in our Yes-or-No-Question-and-Answer-Portion: “Masaya ka ba today?”

Well of course the answer to that question was a big, big, yes. Why? Because I was with my friends.

Okay. So maybe not everyone in my “inner circle” was there (may inner circle pala ako? Hahaha). Some of them were beating the elements at peak-two. Some of them were enjoying the Lenten season with their families at home. And two of them were a thousand miles away, transforming lives in a country called Cambodia. But even just being with three of my most trusted and loved friends – well, it was already more than enough for me.

I love and honor my friends so much. I have this friend who never fails to put a smile on my face whenever she calls me “Miss Anjeli”. I have another friend who makes me laugh whenever she gets into her name-that-tune mode and goes all semi-lovey-dovey. And, well, since I’m beginning to realize that I’m actually starting to write down how I have these friends and how they are special to me… I guess I’ll continue writing and just finish the list.

Now, where was I?

Oh yeah. I ended with the friend who loves to love and loves to name that tune.

Well, I have another friend who would stay up until the wee hours talking to me, because I’ve been one of her very phlegmatic shock absorbers. I have another friend who would also stay up until God knows what time, passionately drawing out and extracting from me every “juicy” detail about the “love aspect” of my life. (Haler naman. Haha. May ganon pala ako???)

I have a friend who accepts my choleric side wholeheartedly (assuming ako, sorry, hehe) even though she is a strong choleric herself. I have a friend who is strong and mighty in the Lord who says that she’s learning a lot from me. (Though I’m still wondering if she meant that in a good or bad way. Haha.)

I have a friend who calls me “teacher” and makes me laugh when she says, “kinikilig ako” because she so does not look like she’s gone all giddy. I have a friend who calls me “tita” and is one of the people whom I really would never have expected to be so totally close to, because she’s loud and I’m not, and she’s really “brusque” and I’m really “dainty”.

I have a friend who admitted that he was once scared of me because of my “cholericness” but now he constantly makes me go crazy because of his “kulitness”. I have a friend who, though he knows how I really struggle to submit to men and though he knows how I constantly tease and “taunt” them all the time – he still honors me so much. (Assuming ulit)

I have a friend who was so not my friend during my younger years in the Lord (I think we really clashed back then), but is now a super great friend who was the first to know my “darkest secret”, who consents to my “baliw” moments, and who just knows how to make me smile and laugh out really loud by just texting or pm-ing me a few simple lines. I have a friend who is also a keeper of my secret and I’m so thankful because she has not yet betrayed my trust.

I have a friend who is always there to read-through-slash-listen-to all the ramblings and rumblings of my soul, who knows just what to do to encourage me, and who never ever fails to make-slash-help me laugh and smile through my stormiest days. (And even through my non-stormy days, of course.)

And I have a friend who would send me a “happy birthday” text message from a thousand miles away, who was and still is my very best friend – I friend whom I really miss oh-so-terribly.

And I have a friend who’s patient enough to read through this long and crazy discourse.

I’m beginning to realize that I am truly blessed with so many great friends. Friends that are a real treasure, friends that are indeed so, so precious in my heart. They mean a whole lot to me. (I don’t know if I mean a whole lot to them, hehe).

I know I may not really show it. And I know that this crazy discourse only provides a slight window to it – but I want all my friends out there to know that you guys are so so special to me and that I love you and honor you so much in the Lord.

Here’s to friendship!!!