IMHO

Friends

After a whole day and the lesser part of the evening running around town from one meeting to another, I capped Friday night at one of my favorite places to unwind: the veranda of the newly renovated G9. Not Greenbelt or Glorietta, but Neil and Rhia's condo unit in Mandaluyong, where we've congregated over the years for special occasions, nationwide revolutions, adventure races, mahjongg/red dog/bingo games, and for no particular reason but to hang out. I'd planned to go out on a Friday with the Thursday Club originals - Miles and Ney, but Ney is in Baguio and Miles got sleepy while waiting for me to finish up at G9. She wasn't the only one who fell asleep on me - my darling Nathan, the coolest godchild of all my cool godchildren, tried to wait up for his Ninang Honey but didn't make it through the late evening. I got to see the sweet child (in all honesty, Nathan is the first child I learned to love...later that year, Miles' and David's Isabella came along) when he woke up from a bad dream and needed Mommy, but no quality time spent with him. Will make up for it this week, promise...he's growing up fast and someday soon it will no longer be "cool" to hang out with Ninang. Unless of course he knows what's good for him, he he.

Anyway, I'm grateful for old friends like Neil, Rhia, Miles, Ney, and the coterie of people I've known and loved for a decade or more. They keep me grounded, because they're the only ones who know what kind of person I used to be, what kind of person I am, and who lovingly accept whatever kind of person I am becoming. They're the only ones who dare - and have the right to dare - twit me about my silly moments and ridiculous lapses; who remember what I did and what I wore and what kind of guys I used to like in the last millennium. Today, their advice and take on things is invaluable, because they know me than most other people, and have my best interests at heart. And I trust whatever they have to tell me, especially when they make me remember things I should ("But don't you remember what he did to you once upon a time...") and realize what I'm worth. What gifts...I thank God for solid friendships like these, may I continue to allow myself to be loved by Him through the people I call my friends.

posted by Honey Oliveros @ 8:25 PM