Farewell to a Dear Friend

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival."

- C. S. Lewis

In loving memory of our dear Ancella

Indeed friendship, like music or poetry or any form of art, though not a requisite for living, surely is essential to making life beautiful and meaningful .. . Total absence of art or humor would render life utterly monotonous. Same goes without friendship.

I have lost a dear old friend last Thursday, when she succumbed to cancer. I knew about her illness November last year, and we constantly kept touch on the progress of the treatments. I was really amazed how strong (and I thought I was stoic, mas pa gid sya ya) she can be about it all. When we chat, we never linger on the topic of her illnes or death, but we still talk about the funny stuff we used to do in highschool. She even makes jokes about funny incidents while at the hospital. If I do ask about the details of her cancer, she will explain it to me in a matter-of-fact-ly manner, while I was filled with dread. But that is Ancella, never the drama-queen. She only asked for more “prayer warriors”.

plea for prayer

Thank God for webcams and the internet!

In your life, you make a lot of friends over the years. You kindle new friendships along the way, but somehow the old friends with whom you forged a strong bond with (over childhood pacts and girlie promises while sipping “mirinda” and exhanging “friendship bands”) , last a lifetime. You went to the same school, lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same church...you are almost family. It's that kind of friendship cemented on memories, good and sad. They cheered with you, danced with you during school programs, cried with you when you lost a parent...You go to each other's birthday “party” even if the “handa” is only “estapageti” and “ice cream”, then you watch “betamax” . (This was the early 90s).

cutie

My childhood friendships withstood the challenges of adult issues or affectations that come with “growing up” . Indi gid pwede mag-ininta or drama2x. Papiho2x lang pwede ;). It even survived the test of time and distance. Of course you all grow up, form your own opinions and points of view, develop “unique” temperaments, gravitate towards newfound interests, and even move separate ways. And yet you remain friends. That's what makes it amazing. As Jinky puts it, “daw magululutod na lang ta ya no?”. Imagine, Jinky and I even go way back Grade 3! Grade 3 till 4th year!
When we do meet up again, we never talk about work or other fancy-smancy stuff. It's almost ridiculous, how we laugh over the same stories we share each time...Ancella is one of those quick-witted ladies, who always has a great come-back on jokes thrown at her. She never fails to send me to heaps of laughter till my sides hurt. And yes, she has this very distinct high-pitched laugh which everyone still remembers.

Highschool Reunion
(L-R: Ancella, Me, Jinky, Romie & Francis)

"Happiness consists of golden moments, small in size, but great in meaning"





"Keeping in Touch"
(*this is a 13-year old greeting card i kept with my stash of nostalgia items... then the picture is "newer" 10 years old)

Goodbye Ancella...Your friendship meant a whole lot to me, and it sure did make my life more meaningful.

"God saw that she was getting tired

and a cure was not to be...
So He put His arms around her,
and whispered, "Come with Me"...

With tear-filled eyes they watched her
suffer and fade away...
Although they loved her deeply,
they could not make her stay...

A golden heart stopped beating,
loving hands put to rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us...
...HE ONLY TAKES THE BEST!"

-Author Unknown