Skip to main content

The Friends I Lost, The Life They Lived



January 18th

Achilen just moved to Spain last year. She was taking a chance on a different life abroad leaving behind an already successful life in the Philippines. She was a lawyer, a business consultant, and a friend. At her age, she has achieved more than what her peers are expected to have, myself included. But other than the accolades, she was praised for always making herself available for others. 

She would constantly tell me to have backup plans with my career, to be more financially stable, and to live fearless of the future. In fact, I officially started the business I've been planning on for so long all because of her help. I have no business background and the business world looks scary from the outside. But, Achilen reassured me over and over again that I just had to take the first step and we'll figure out the rest along the way. 

And just as I was about to launch this venture, that's when she left all of us. She was just having an ordinary dinner with her boyfriend and with another friend. Hours later, she started complaining of stomach pains. They rushed her to the emergency room and without warning that was the last time they saw her breathing. She left all of us hanging. All of us.

April 1st

Shi was a friend of a friend. Although we only had a few encounters, she was definitely one of the kindest people I met. Shi got pregnant right after graduating college. Her husband works a meager job. Then another child came. Shi worked jobs providing them with just enough to survive before the next salary day comes. Then she worked abroad. However, fate was not on her side that she got depressed and had to go back to the Philippines. 

And on April Fool's day, we got a message that Shi passed away. That must be a bad joke, but it wasn't. She suffered from a central nervous breakdown. She had a prolonged stress that it took a toll on her health. It was unimaginable. Stress killed her. Her youngest child a 2-year old, will grow up only having blurry memories of her mom. Shi lived every day disregarding her own well-being for the sake of her family, of her kids. I guess that's what mothers are. She was strong and selfless.

April 30th

Amel was a childhood friend. But we all called him "Kuya" as he was like a big brother to all of us. He was kind, smart, talented, and funny. Perhaps one of the fondest memories I have of him was during Christmas season. I and other friends would go house to house around the neighborhood and sing Christmas carols. We'd get more money than the other kids because Kuya had a nice voice and would sing solo. We'd divide among ourselves what little earnings we got and we were the happiest. Those were the days when we were all young and innocent and dreams were meant for sleeping.

Then we all grew up and life led us in different directions. He unfortunately chose a path we all didn't expect. He involved himself in dangerous situations. He moved to a different city and I haven't heard of him since then. Then one day my mom sent me a photo of him. He was unrecognizable. He was bedridden and was extremely thin like skin and bones. And just days after that, he passed away.

🌿🌿🌿

Three friends chose different paths yet they all met the same fate. So, who lived well? Who lived fully? Were they satisfied with the life they lived? And what mattered to them? And what reward awaits after their deaths? And those they have left behind, who among them is in greater pain? Who will suffer more from the loss? 

I don't fear death. But I fear not living the life I ought to live. So every waking day is a restart, a reset, a renewal of my commitment to live with no regrets. I want to love and live fully not for myself but for God and for those around me. And I will strive to keep thanking God for every breath I take. I will strive not to lose a grateful heart. 

And every time I question God for taking my friends away too soon, I remind myself of these verses.


ISAIAH 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.


Farewell, my friends. Till we meet again. 🍃

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino Stores and Restaurants in Tokyo

For somebody who craves for Filipino food and snacks from time to time, here are the stores I frequent to. I can only share a limited perspective but solely based on my experiences. Read on! Filipino Stores 1. Asia Yaosho (Kabukicho, Shinjuku)  While they mostly have Filipino products, they also sell Thai goods. I think their prices are a little lower than the other Filipino stores I've tried. However, they have limited stocks and they often run out of items that I usually need, like Bearbrand. 😁 Credits: This photo is from this website .  2.  Ameyoko Center Underground Marekt (Ueno)   This market is heaven for Southeast Asians. They have a lot of varieties, dry goods, frozen meat, and even fresh seafood. There are also two Filipino stores in the area. They sell more items than Asia Yaosho but they are a bit pricey.  Credits: Photo is from this website. The market is underground. The entrance is on the side of this building at the center of this photo.  3....
Post a Comment
Read more

Summer: Warm Encounters

This year's summer break has been the best I've had in Japan or at least ever since I got to spend for my trips on my own. But while scanning through a thousand travel photos on my phone and camera, I realized that travel is made even more special with people you are with and those you encounter. Izumo, Shimane Other than its quiet and laidback atmosphere, the beauty of Izumo lies on its people. Our going there wasn't as carefully planned as it should have been. It's much farther from Tokyo and would honestly cost us more. But my oneechan convinced me that it will be worthwhile. I also happen to have a friend living in Izumo and I thought it will be a good opportunity for a catch up.  This Izumo friend drove us around and went out of her way for us to be able to spend a memorable day around the area. She as usual welcomed us with warmth and excitement sharing the history and stories of her hometown here and there. She is also naturally funny. Her quirks still make me gi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lessons in Spring

It's almost summer vacation and I have been planning on so many things to do for the long holiday but I have to sit down and write all the experiences worth remembering in spring.  HAKONE I stumbled upon this blog post that suggested a walk through the old Tokaido road would be fascinating. It would also be a less stressful trip to Hakone as it is an off the beaten path. So I forced myself to walk through the old road that actually leads you to lake Ashi. It  took about two hours of both feeling scared and excited. I was feeling nauseous in my stomach. The paved road uphill gave me an adrenaline rush. It was sunny and the air was cool. It was a good day to hike. There was a warning sign of bear sightings. I don't know why but that's the least of my concerns. In fact, what scared me more is the idea of bumping into a suspicious person along the way. Aren't humans scarier than animals? Life lesson: Travel alone. A lot . CHICHIBU A road trip through the mountains of Chichi...
Post a Comment
Read more