I was rummaging through our personal files looking for Michael's birth certificate when I saw an email that a very close friend of mine has sent me on the day I left for Switzerland. My then-fiancé has printed it for me and this was the first thing that I read the moment I stepped into our flat, straight from the airport.
As I was re-reading it this morning, I was overwhelmed with the love and friendship that are very much evident in the email, so overwhelmed that I decided to post the entire email for everyone to see.
I am not sure if I have replied to Pie but I am taking this chance to thank her from the deepest part of my heart for her wonderful and unconditional friendship over the years.
Her email is below:
dearest julia,
as i write this, your absence hasn't sunk in yet. in a way, i am quite thankful that we didn't spend together your last few weeks here. otherwise, i would definitely feel the "hole" you created in my everyday life. i know how difficult it is for you to leave your family behind. this feeling is, i guess, a shared sentiment both by us (being left behind) and by you (who is leaving). it is very difficult to see someone go and say goodbye, especially if this person is "family." i will not attempt to speak for your family. i speak for just myself ---- i will miss everything that we shared, our time together, our talks especially!
but when i think about your journey to motherhood, to marriage, to family life, it'd be very, very selfish of me to entertain (my own) sadness. despite venturing into the "unknown" and possibly being homesick non-stop, your decision to join Michael is truly admirable. i know that we both strongly believe that "the best measure of success is a happy home, a peaceful family," and you are blessed to have that within reach.
sis, i cannot thank you enough for being my friend. no adjectives (in its superlative form) could describe our bond, and if i attempt to even describe how close we are, i might not even give it justice. just the same, thank you for being my friend!
i need not emphasize anymore the lessons we learned from our past, the past that we both shared and spent as individuals. what we should always remember, i think, is God's hand in every tear, every smile, every achievement and every failure we had. when i think about it, He has blessed us with so much! so despite the trials that come my way, i know that He is there. even when there are times that i seem to surrender to my (own) weakness, in the end, i know that i should be strong because He is there.
and you were there too! in every tear, every smile, every achievement, every failure --- you were there for me. thank you so so so much julia! when i give it a thought, i may have needed you more than you ever needed me. our talks were more about me, the problems we talked about were more about me, yes, me me me!! but unlike others, you never took "my self-centeredness" against me. you were patient, frank, honest and always ready to listen. and that was what i liked most about you, you were never afraid to speak your mind, and you were sincerely protective of me.
thank you julia for being a friend to aries too! especially at times when i was away, and he was bugging you with his mushy-ness. even if we say that we can actually live with a happy lovelife sans friends, it is ALWAYS an extra blessing (and a lot more peaceful!) if our friends are friends with our sweethearts! it's less complicated that way, isn't it? likewise, i am more than glad that i am friends with michael.
sis, i pray for your good health always and your family's (michael and baby colin in your tummy). i will be here for you despite the different time zone. take care of yourself, and never worry about us here.
enjoy your new home. and write!
(michael, please take care of julia. she only has you there. she is, without a doubt, a stranger in a new place. and be extra patient with her. her humor is extraordinary, and she doesn't cook! but heck, she loves you so much, and you love her as well!)
sis, i'm so happy and thrilled for you! God bless, and don't forget to pray!
*hugs*
love you,
Pie
