Last December, I shared with you a story about finding a long lost high school chum whom I had a falling out with. You can’t imagine the joy I felt when we were finally able to touch base again through e-mail! Since then, it has been my fervent wish to see Irma, to embrace her and tell her how much she means to me because I missed her so much.
Another one of my best friends is Ina Tabornal. We’ve been friends since elementary and though we were separated during the whole of high school (because I left for the States), we continued to strengthen our bond by writing letters and occasionally calling each other up. She was the first to greet me when I came back to the Philippines and we’ve been inseparable since. She was one of the maids of honor for my wedding and ninang to my firstborn, Ella. When she decided to get married in the States, I surprised her by showing up at her wedding. She kept crying when she saw me. She was also furious because I ruined her makeup! I was just so overcome with joy to have a chance to witness that very momentous time in her life.
Before we set out to meet with Irma, I drove my family through the route that I used to take to go to school every day and brought them to where I used to live. I gave them a mini tour of Pacific Palisades High School. So many memories just kept popping up in my head which I excitedly shared with them. As I was walking around the campus with my kids, I heard Irma call out and we ran to embrace each other so tight. It was like a scene from a movie. It felt great to see her, we couldn’t stop talking and laughing until our jaws ached. Anthony and my children were just so happy for us that they let us have a good time. We promised to continue our friendship and not let the distance ever separate us again. What a blessing!
It was a very memorable 10 days. We had a chance to visit and enjoy the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, the Flower Fields, and Carlsbad Beach. I learned many things from Ina. I was amazed at how organized she was, making sure all our basic needs were taken care of. She also took care of documenting our stay and was so efficient at everything. There was no dull moment with her. I was truly humbled by how she managed every day of her life without a helper. If not for her, we would’ve probably not have gone to so many places and enjoyed beautiful San Diego.
Being an introvert who takes forever to get going in the morning, it was quite a challenge for me to move as swiftly as Ina. I know though, that we balanced each other. We probably wouldn’t have survived each other if we went so fast in our pace and didn’t have time to just hang out. We had a riot during the times we stayed home to do chores and look after our children – yes, all six of them that the house looked like a daycare center. We took turns cleaning, fixing fights, packing, cooking meals, playing with the kids, etc., all while exchanging stories about our lives and reminiscing the good ol’ days.
There were also chaotic times especially after a full day. But we managed pretty well because we didn’t allow those moments to affect our friendship. We dealt with them one issue at a time. That’s what friends are for.