Saturday, March 12, 2011

Friends Are Gifts from Above

Friends.......They love you,
But they're not your lover
They care for you,
But they're not from your family
They're ready to share your pain,
But they're not your blood relation.
They are........FRIENDS! !!!!
A True friend......
Scolds like a DAD..
Cares like a MOM..
Teases like a SISTER..
Irritates like a BROTHER..
Finally loves you more than a LOVER.
Thanks a lot for being a GOOD FRIEND!

When I received this beautiful email, I have thought of making a blog about friends. I believe that friends are a gift from above. Don’t you think so?

I can’t count anymore the number of friends I have met in my life but rare that you find true and genuine friends. They say that friends come and go. You are only good friends when you are physically present with each other but when things change, you just lose contact and you see yourself again being with new friends. It may be true to a certain extent but the most important thing is that you have been real friends and you have known and loved each other like brothers and sisters.

For many, their good friends are their classmates, colleagues, people they meet on social networking, or anyone who was introduced to them. If I will be asked to enumerate my good friends, I have a long list to mention. I just feel very much blessed to have friends who are there for me through thick and thin and I would like to introduce them to all of you.

As I try to explore a better life in Dubai, I am grateful to God to have friends like Oliver and Lolong who are like brothers to me. They give me all the support and understanding that I need especially that I am away from my family. I consider them as my family here in Dubai. God blessed me more with good friends like Charity who has a happy personality and has taught me how to do the dance revolution here. My friends in Canada like Louie and Tony who are very generous and loving as friends. They even consider me as a member of their family. In fact, they are helping me out to be with them someday in Canada. My kind friends in Indonesia like Elvin, Harold, Tintin, Emy, Joecel, and Sharlene who were my stronghold when I was still working in Jakarta. I have a lot of good memories with them and I am more than thankful to God to have them as my friends. My real friends way back in De La Salle University like Malou, Neil, Daye, Mars, Rina, Reggie, Ennan, and Tita Lynn. I really felt loved and encouraged by them. They have contributed a lot to my being and learning. My former students who are now my friends like Mhel, Jeoffrey, Chelle, Louise, Mikey, Mark, Jammy, Ojee, Raffy, Eden, and the other peer facilitators of De La Salle University. You made me feel as young as you are. Ooopps, if you disagree, the more you will look like me:) My religious friends in the church like Bro. Nilo, Bro. Albin, Bro. Erasto, Bro. Ernesto, Bro. Fredierico, and Bro. Luis. I was able to serve and show my love to God through our ministry because of the many moments we shared and served God together as brothers in faith. My former bosses like Mr. Benjamin Lazo and Doc Carmen Pabiton who have been very supportive superiors and very loving friends to me.

Working abroad has blessed me more with kind friends from Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, China, India, and America. I will never forget Kate and Daniel who reminded me that life is very short to be unhappy. Wesley, who may not be a believer but has an open-mind, friendly, understanding, and is a more kind person compared to those who practice their faith. Alvan and Indra who have totally changed my perception of what a Singaporean is. Ms. Linda Hahn Santoso, who was my American principal but made me feel that friendship can be applied at work even if she was my superior. My sweet Indonesian friend Kristin who made me feel good as a person and as a colleague. She is one person I worked with who was very professional and mature. Also, Ibu Irma who valued and really treasured our good friendship. My Chinese friend Zhao, who is one person who showed me what true friendship is about. The cool dude Khadri who is a very caring, loving, funny, humble, generous, accepting, and cool dude. He is one of the kindest, sensitive, and good-hearted friends I ever have. Yasir who is equally friendly, concern, good-natured, funny, caring, and a soft-hearted dude. He made me realize that I have to value the trust and respect given to me by people.

Most especially, my loyal, loving, and lasting friend-, my siblings. They are my source of joy and strength and I know they will always be there for me no matter what. They are my friends through thick and thin in the truest sense of the word. Ultimately, I have God as my dear friend who loves me and accepts me unconditionally.

Now, do you agree that friends are gifts from above? I may not have mentioned all the names of the good friends that God has given me but I want them to know that I love them with all my heart. You are all equally important in my life and I will always be thankful to God for having you as friends.

I may sound like giving tribute and honor to my friends and that is really my intention. I cannot imagine a world without friends and I just hope that I am also being a good and "handsome" friend to each and everyone of them as well.

You are all indeed a gift from above!

I LOVE YOU AND MY LIFE WILL NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT ALL OF YOU MY FRIENDS!

6 comments:

  1. thanks for putting me in your list. it is mushy but poignant. the usual emotionally sensitive and soft-hearted ed that i know... indeed, 'who finds a friend finds a treasure', and for my part, i thank God for making me rich with friends. i miss you and i will wait for your return. i know that you did a mc arthur when you left and i know that like the real mc arthur, you will also honor your promise. i cannot wait for 30 days and i am hoping you can come back sooner. but may be i just have to stop counting and waiting for the days so that they will move faster than they really are. take care and keep on praying. i missed ur presence in the Church last Sunday night and you cannot just imagine how Charity longed for your presence as well. when u return, let us make it a point to enlist ourselves as official choir members and may be you can be a reader as well. we can also find time to attend their bible study and catechism from adults. we owe it to God to know more our faith and serve the Church in our own little ways. pls pray and pray. till then my dear. your grumpy old brother loves you and remember,"he knows best", so do as he says. lol but am serious

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  2. I'm finally a follower of your blogspot! Thanks for the friendship as well...

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  3. hi kumareng rochelle:) thanks for the good friendship. God bless your good heart:)continue to follow our blog:) more to come:)

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  4. @expatworld - you are one friend i will treasure forever through thick and thin. mc arthur is dead already right? hehehe:) well, i think i should be singing McArthur park is melting in the dark on a sweetly life that is going down.....hehehe:) I hope i got the lyrics right?:) kidding aside, i pray for God's plan and THANK YOU VERY MUCH MY GREAT FRIEND for taking care of me while I was singing my "McArthur" song in Dubai:) see you soon:) Inshallah!

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  5. i hope that one day our paths would cross again... then we can do the dance revolution! miss you dear friend :)

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