FAREWELL 2008….

December 31, 2008

[preblogged: December 30, 2008, 4:18 PM]

Years have rushed so quickly that I almost fail to notice how things unfolded…

 365 days is only but a snap of a finger. It was just like yesterday that I spent my new year’s eve at Mama Cora’s home. The media noche their family hosts for quite sometime has been a sumptuous sharing of laughters and delicious banquet. I can still recall how I savored the buko salad Mama Cora specially prepared.

 After a while, I just realized that tomorrow is the last day of the year… 2008 shall soon bid farewell and a new year has to commence. Whether I should be fond of accepting the fact that I’ll be twenty five soon or I shall avoid looking [but never feeling] old, 2009 is but one sleep away.

 Like my past yearend rituals, I found myself mulling over what transpired this year as I ask myself of these: What are my blessings this year? What experiences turned out to be personally most valuable? What are the most important moments 2008 has left me?

 BLESSINGS ARE COUNTLESS. It would certainly take me another day to have a complete listing of my blessings this year. Perhaps when everyone seems busy and euphoric in welcoming the new year during the last few hours of 2008, I shall still be spending my time keying in every blessings I have had this year (hoping not to miss a single one).

 A smile from within wouldn’t be enough to show off how blessed I have become this year. Blessings proved to be countless all through this year. Briefly, I enumerate hereunder the most important gifts I am very thankful of:

                 J The gift of love from a family…

J The gift of friendship…

                J The gift of caring from relatives and better acquaintances…

                J The gift of opening doors for professional growth…

                J The gift of financial stability…

 A loving family matters most. Of all the gifts a person has, one cannot simply overlook to be thankful of his family no matter how imperfect they have been.

2008 offered me meaningful moments with my family. Adversities measure the strength of our oneness as a family especially during the second quarter of the year in which the most crucial decisions concerning the sake of a family member is laid. There were a couple of disagreement among us especially between my parents and me. My side was not given due consideration at all, I thought. I felt useless as a family member and that my opinion was regarded as insignificant as if I wasn’t thinking of means to iron things out for the family.

I always believed that my idea was the most practical option. Yet I found no one to back up my side. The table could have turned against me had I became resolute of my dissent. Rather than calming, I could have exacerbated the circumstances.

In the end, it was I who became acquiescent of the options I never conformed with.  I had no choice. After all, every thing turns out to be just fine as we all wished it to be.  I had to stash away my personal sentiments from my family and reserve it for myself solely.

The events that took place last September gave way to my reaffirmation that my family is such a wonderful treasure in my life. More than just being considered as my closest family members this year, Mama and my sister Julie have been very positive in helping me discover myself to emerge thankful and contented amidst heartache and self-pity. Most importantly, I am deeply touched of their acceptance for me as an individual who is permeable to commit faults and opt for unwise choice.

A family remains a family come what may. Love must transcend over differences at all times despite unease and adversities. 

Particularly, I’m glad to see that my mother is overcoming her very slim figure. Thanks God, she gains a little flab this year. Father seems to enjoy his post as our barangay chieftain despite a few challenging setbacks. My siblings have been very well this (not to mention my youngest bro who got a row of seven-something in his school’s report card during the first grading period). My sister Julie continues her studies in college and I am happy for her [although she frustrated me of having two succeeding bfs within a semester only].

2008 is also year of cultivating friendship. I have gained new friends, restrengthened old ties and discovered (and rediscovered) valuable relationships this year.

Lanie and Christopher top the list of the very best of friends who mean so much to me this year. 

Lanie had been such a blessing not only because she adopted me during my stay in Daraga for summer but most importantly for the very exceptional moments we shared. Our friendly walks to Ligňon Hill to unwind, and our ‘pilgrimage’ to Santo Cristo Chapel every Friday and novenas to Saint Jude come Thursdays and to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Albay Cathedral or Saint Rafael Church during Wednesdays are one of the best moments I am thankful of. I can still recall how she was baffled when after a confession I decided to invite her to go home without even uttering a prayer. As a result, we become prayer partners.  The rosary nights have become solemn most of the times but proved to be therapeutic (for sleeping purposes) at times, too.

Lanie has been an uncomplaining ear, a comforting shoulder, a crying buddy, a pampering pal, a minding dietician, a smart adviser, a thoughtful friend, and most importantly a best sister-confidant. She even serves as my psychoanalyst critique (hehe she oftentimes comment on my ‘premature’ misdemeanors and refrain me from doing my ‘fixation’ [I hope I quote the right term she said] rituals). 

Christopher, on the same hand, has become a very intimate friend. My friendship with him taught me a lot of lessons in life. It is with him that I gained confidence in expressing my innermost thoughts I usually reserved for myself most of the times.

Like Nanie, he has become a good listener… Though he’s a bit taciturn, he offered comforting words in times I needed it most. He has always been a straightforward yet a tactful buddy. The last quarter of this year has almost strained our friendship but I am thankful it was renewed before the year departs. His Christmas vacation has been advantageous to recoup waning ties and foster a boost on a much meaningful friendship. 

Bito and Ninoy are among the better friends I can’t afford to lose. I miss bonding with these guys. We have separate circle of friends but the friendship remains firm. Our very rare ‘talkathon’ never becomes boring whenever we meet.

This year, I yearned for a closer bonding with some better friends. I missed the hearty conversation with Cyi and Ryan who is now blessed with a very cute baby girl, Mary Cyrene who happens to be my godchild. I missed chatting with Gerome who appears to be enjoying his moments with his old and new batch of friends. Very seldom did I hear also of Ranran’s clever jokes and astounding revelations this year. I missed my CYC family especially Kuya Boboy who never get tired of inviting me back in the group. I missed having an intelligent conversation with Kirby… I missed everyone who had become so close to me for the past years… 

Indeed I missed a lot of people this year.

I missed visiting Edz and Rachel, the closest friends I had in college. Our visit in the wake of Wilma’s brother (who was brutally killed) in a far-flung area in Bacon District last May was the first and last reunion we had since college. Unfortunately, it was never the right moment to revisit happy past. Nevertheless, it was a meaningful bonding with old and best of friends. 

I missed having a frequent relaxing conversation with Manay Meliss and Tekla. Our bonding nowadays usually involve internet surfing and Friendster uploading, etc but I missed the days of unlimited exchange of silly gags and trivial gossips.

I missed Bibi, Mabell and Nini (Mildred). Only technology binds us together this year. SMS and  Friendster are the best means for us to update ourselves with our activities these days. We’ve met only once this year. It happened last All Soul’s Day as we spent almost three hours of reminiscing our childhood past while resting on my grandparents’ tomb.

Modern technology link Johnberk, Nini (Rachelle), Mona, Erwin, Sandra, Caren and I closer, too. Cellphones and Friendster do help a lot.

While friends like Manay Ritz and Sir Oliver stay supportive all through this year, new friends added color to my life, as well. Among the good friends I have met are Kuya Gil, Tita Beth, Tita Fe and Tita Jojie (my classmates in BU). Mam Dianne, Sir Gigi and Sir Rene have been such a blessing, too. The pretty lasses in our school – Mam Aya, Mam Julie and Mam Vickylyn – were not only very reliable and responsible. They, too, have been better circle of friends.

Benhur, a supportive colleague in the SLT, turned out to be a very good confidant and adviser this year. Our friendship started just a year ago when he served as a LFT in our school.

Better acquaintances never drop off in numbers, too.

Indeed 2008 would have never become more meaningful without friends and acquaintances who added extra life to this passing year.