Thank you God for the gift of friendship

Baltasar Gracian says it so well: “True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evil. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island… to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.”

My first friends were my sisters then came my cousins. We would play it out under the sun until our Lola would make us take our afternoon naps. I couldn’t ask for a more wonderful childhood!

Then, I started school and this opened a door for me to have even more friends among my classmates, whom I am still friends with up to this day. Thank you Facebook for reconnecting me with my childhood friends!

I chose to go to high school in the far, far away land of Baybay, now a city, and there, I met some of the best people who shared with me a most memorable teenage life – filled with hopes and dreams and well-wishes and heartaches and even early afternoon Physics. Me, who could never get Physics right passed with flying colors because of the brilliant Mathematicians in my circle of friends who tutored me and poked me when I was about to fall asleep while a pendulum was going to and fro on the teacher’s table. Only fun memories!

Then I set off sail to big and complicated Cebu. There, in eclectic UP Cebu I met my college buddies, who introduced me to LIFE, as I know now and, together, we hurdled departmental exams, internships and thesis. It was also in this wonderful academic institution that I got to know God more personally.

From then on, I have unceasingly thanked God for the gift of friendship because the friendships He prepared for me in this lifetime shaped the person I am today.

My sisters and cousins gave me a wonderful childhood – filled with sun-kissed looks, river-bathing, hill-climbing, “buwan-buwan”, “tago-tago”, “langit-lupa”, “Chinese garter”, “flying saucer”, and all those games we used to play when we all had an unlimited amount of energy.

My elementary classmates taught me to excel – to be excellent – and to value education.

My high school friendship, meanwhile, provided a platform for the young lady in me to bloom, not as awkwardly as in the movies. Just enough bad and good memories to make me smile every time I reminisce my teenage years.

Finally, my college buddies, through our experiences together, helped me to become braver in LIFE. I learned from my UP friends how to choose your battles, to be calm amidst adversity, to be generous of knowledge, and humility when serving others. UPians rule!

So, how many friends do I have? I have lost count but my heart is and will forever be grateful.

Currently, I am once again leaving behind some friendships that are 12 years in the making, as I resign from the manufacturing firm that I serve as “comms gal”, now officially as HR Business Partner.

These are the friendships that I was able to forge in the workplace. I didn’t know then, so naïve of me back in 2004, that I would make LIFE-LONG / LIFETIME FRIENDS in P. Some have gone before me, actually, to pursue more interesting careers in other companies or to go off on an adventure in foreign lands with their families.

Some have remained though because they choose to and because their perfectly happy at P. I would understand. P is a lovely place. It’s only that, at this point in my life, I NEED to be where my heart is – home.

@home, I’ll be bringing with me all the life-changing lessons I learned from my P friends. I cannot thank you enough for making my stay at P as wonderful and as fun. I always look forward going to work because I know you would all be there, working and serving our fellow Ps.

I learned hard work, patience, integrity, attention to details, efficiency, diplomacy, and servant leadership from my colleagues and friendships at P.

Last night, my closest P friends (and hopefully, future business partners, fingers crossed!) gave me a most touching gift – a box of office goodies. They want me to take a piece of them to my new office so I don’t get lonely and so that I don’t forget them. That could never happen!

This Wonderful Box was intricately decorated, my Reyna Elena picture carefully cut and I knew, with all my heart, that precious time was poure into making and filling This Wonderful Box to the brim.

I love it! And no, last night’s escapade was not a despedida party. I don’t believe in one. Since March 15, I’ve been telling you my dearest P friends, No Goodbyes.

Thank you again, though, for making time to go out with me and the husband last night. It was fun, as it should be.

Again, thank you God for the gift of friendship. I look forward to forging more friendships in the years to come – blessed by Thee, prepared by Thee.

Thank You My Dearest P Friends! Truly, chance made us colleagues... hearts made us friends. :)