Change Doesn’t Change.

Things change and so do people. You can’t expect them to stay the way they are forever. We meet different people every now and then. We have always been reminded that change is the only constant thing in the world. Putting it ironically, CHANGE is the only thing in the world that DOESN’T CHANGE.

During my college days, I, together with the rest of my friends would always remind ourselves that no matter where life would lead us after college, we must still be in touch with each other. We promised never to forget the years we spent together, we promised to keep what we always had strong – we promised to keep the friendship alive. But no matter how we always try to fulfill these promises, we would somehow end up breaking them one way or another whether we like it or not.

As someone who really values friendship than any other relationships in the world I could have, I always make sure that being with my newly-found friends wouldn’t make my long-time buddies feel that I have already forgotten about them. I have never failed to keep in touch with them; I have never failed to share with them stories about the life I’m living right now; and I have never failed to make them feel that they are still important. I have never felt tired of making effort just for us to get together, even if it means taking the risk that my invitation would be declined by the same friends I had never experienced rejected by due to wrong timing of plans, etc., ending up feeling sad that we may never find time for our busy schedules to meet.

Earlier, I received a message from a friend. It seemed clear to me that she is beginning to doubt if we will ever get together just as we were before. She fears that our closeness will not be the same as the closeness that we had 3 or 4 years ago. I have always assured her that nothing is going to change between us. I have always promised her that since the day we became friends and luckily I have always been able to keep it until now.

I have always intended to keep my promises. Keeping promises has never been my difficulty because I have never had a hard time keeping them (I won’t make a promise if can’t keep them, in the first place). But this time, I now find it hard. Not because I am not able to keep what I have assured them, but because the promise I made will not depend on me alone anymore. Reason for this is that no matter how I try to keep every thing fine, if the rest involved in this won’t give their effort, this is going to be useless.

I feel frustrated that I won’t be able to bring the group together once again. As time passes, I am beginning to feel tired, but I’m fighting it. Tiredness won’t beat me. I know I can still see me and my friends back together.

Change doesn’t change in this life, yes. But I won’t let Change to beat me, not for AnJELS, not for my friends.

Written. Timed. Measured.

When we want something done and was able to do it by the deadline we have set to ourselves, it is good luck. When things happen unexpectedly at our advantage, we think that it was because of our good and sometimes regarded as perfect timing.

A teammate in need of a user account and password asks you to lend him yours, just after you thought of changing your password into something different than ‘meLoveshim’ (of which ‘him’ could be any name you refer to someone you are eyeing on at the moment). Whew! That’s what you call a good timing! 😉

A good friend you haven’t seen for quite some time accidentally bumped into you while you’re busy making your way to the station going home. Wow, that’s really good timing since you’ve been thinking earlier whether or not to go home late.  🙂

Aside from believing that everything happens for a reason – to teach you and make you realize something, I have also come to realize that everything is measured. Everything is timed. The amount of water you decide to take before leaving for home, the seconds it took you to say “Bye-bye!” to your colleague as you prepare to leave, the minutes it took the elevator before it stops at the floor where you are, and the footsteps it took you before someone accidentally bumped on you –and realized as you say the “ampf” word that that someone is your long-time friend! 😉

Every thing is measured, and timed because every thing has been written long before. No matter how you keep on doing a good job avoiding certain things, persons and places, you will still end up unlucky in avoiding them because every thing is timed unless it is not written. 😉

last trip..

 

Nobody knows his time. Nobody could ever tell what’s going to happen in the next few minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and even years. It’s much wiser to think of what to do next, than bother ourselves with time because we can never know when time is going to stop ticking.

I was always lucky to end up taking the last trip going home, especially on days when I am busy making my work and life balanced. And whenever I do get a chance to take the last trip, I automatically whisper “thanks, thanks Lord” because I won’t have to double my trip just to get home.

Not all last trips are fun and relieving – not all last trips can bring you home.. at least safely. Sometimes, last trips bring you to a place where you’ll never be able to see your home again. We’ll only know our time when the last trip arrives. Problem is we don’t even have an idea when our last trip will come.

I don’t fear getting home late and not be able to take the last jeepney ride on my way home. I have always been prepared for that ‘cause I know there will still be other means for me to get home. What fears me is the last trip itself. No matter how thankful I am that I’m able to take the ride, ‘last trips’ always frighten me. Because every time that I am able to be on the last jeepney, I can’t help but ask myself “What if this is going to be my last ride?”.

We only walk through this life once. Roads never get the same, even if it’s always the same path we take everyday.  And no matter how frequent we take the same road, there will always be something that we miss to see, notice, and fail to appreciate – just like the building at the left side of EDSA (if you’re riding the MRT coming from the north bound) of which one of the units is colored blue-green, the clouds that change forms every day –sometimes it forms like an angel with someone kneeling in front of him (my imagination is so powerful I can even make a story out of the clouds), or one of the few people you recognize as your “classmate-passenger” having a new hair cut.

Make the most of your day.. every day. Never fail to appreciate things around you. Always try to see good in others even if they are the ones who keep pushing you as you get on the 3^rd door 1^stcoach of a skipping train at the MRT station. Just smile, wiggle yourself in, inhale deeply, smile at those who push you (I know it’s hard.. hehe), who knows they may be the same people you’ll be with on the last ride. Look at its bright side –at least you’re able to get in, and whisper “God Bless My Trip..”

Ingat! J

a living funeral

Most of us are afraid to talk about death, but one quote of whose author I don’t know says that Death (that thing we fear) could be a very beautiful experience. I have thought about this — how come it’s a beautiful experience when death means losing the people you love, and leaving them (in case when you are the one whom Death is going to take). As for my such playful mind, there is only one thing I could think of that would make me agree Death is and could be a Beautiful experience.. and that is what they call EULOGY – one that is done during the necrological service.

Eulogy.. a kind of ceremony given to someone during his wake, a statement about the good things he has done in his life, the time to reminisce all the good memories each has had with the departed one, and a testimonial of proofs of how good a person someone had been all his life while he was still alive..

Each of us would want to be given or to be offered something like this when our ‘time’ comes. It would be very nice to know how we have affected the lives of others during our time on earth and how we have been a great part in somebody’s life through our own simple ways (consciously, even unconsciously). But haven’t you realized that these Eulogies would be useless anyway? What’s the use of these testimonials about us if we can no longer hear it? How will these people know that we are very pleased to be hearing those eulogies from them if we are not able to react from our own casket?

Ive learned this through Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie where Morrie told his family and friends that he would want to have a “Living Funeral”. For it will be useless if eulogies were to be done in his wake when he dies. Which, I realize was true..

We, who are still enjoying our lives here on earth, and as adults with such young, childlike, happy hearts always want to be given testimonials.. Well, I thank friendster.com for pioneering a site where my friends can take time to tell the world how they are thankful for meeting someone like me.. 😉

Unconsciously, the testimonials we receive (and give) are somewhat eulogies, and the sites where we make it can be our “living funeral”.

It really doesn’t matter when, where, and how we want to show the rest of the world how one has been to us. What really matters is that we take time to show each other how each affects each life, how we’re thankful for having met each person, and how we care so much for them that we can’t even imagine losing them for a long time.

So, take advantage of every opportunity that you are able to show someone you love and care for how much you really do. Be it through testimonials online, a pat on the back, or a hug.

Don’t wait for Death to come, have your own Living Funeral while you can still hear, feel, and react to every thing you are able to grasp, laugh at, and enjoy..

and as what Og Mandino said, “live your life as if it is your last”..

Make the people around you happy as though you’re not going to see them tomorrow, as if today is the last day you’ll be able to hear them laugh at your craziness, see them smile at your good deeds, and touch their hearts like it has never been touched (the way you do) before..

hmm.. so, how about giving me a eulogy..? 😉

I’d be more than happy if you would..! 😉