To my wonderful friend
To my wonderful friend
No man is an island and friends are important to many of us. Whether we have many friends or few friends, or whether we are fortunate to have good and close friends, we can't deny the fact that we need friends around to rub shoulders with us.
It's pal's birthday but I did not get to celebrate with her today. However, I knew she had an awesome time doing something she enjoyed greatly, and to me that's more important =)
Pal has been a great friend, a wonderful friend. It's amazing how we got so much closer over just the last 2 years or so. We've known each other first as colleagues, back in August 1999. We first met in April 1999 when we were both scheduled for an interview with the Board of Ministry when we applied to be Christian Ministry Staff (CMS) in the Methodist Schools. Subsequently, we met only at the monthly CMS meetings and hardly had contacts with each other - guess there wasn't much to converse about as we are on different journey in our life - she in the primary school ministry and I in the secondary school ministry; she as a mother and wife and me being one without family commitments.
It was only in the last 2 years that we got really close to each other and began to share deeply with one another. What I appreciated about pal is that she will not hesitate to tell me something she knew I needed to hear - even if it's something that hurts. She will say it for my sake, and out of love. I've learnt a great deal from her - her endurance in the midst of difficulty, her patience in toiling on this learning journey even though many times it became really too much for her, an attitude in her that she will just give her best even though she knew she wouldn't be an A student, her wisdom in handling inter-personal relations and manage ways of life. Words cannot describe what I've learnt from her and how I've benefitted from this friendship.
I really thank God for pal and for the way she has been such a great friend. Pal once said that the reason why we could click so well was because when she shared her thoughts and feelings very honestly, I do not come across as condemning or judgmental, even though I knew that some of the things she shared isn't right in the eyes of God and men. I merely let her voice her piece, and would gently tell her my views without forcing my way through - given her wisdom and experience in life, she don't need me to tell her what to do, she already knew her decisions - all she need was a listening ear that would hear her honest struggles and feelings.
The other reason I guess we are really good friends is because we gave each other space - we knew we both have friends apart from each other, and we don't demand the need to always having to spend time together, yet we know when we need one another, we are just a call away. That was something I knew was important to pal - the space to be herself, and for me, the space to be myself as well.
Pal is one of the good friend amongst the many I had, and I really thank God for her. My only "regrets" I guess was, I had not been able to be around when she needed support most many years back - between 2002 to about 2004 or so when she had 2 rough patches she need to go through. My prayer is that I will be a blessing to pal much more than she had been a blessing to me, and that this friendship will truly take on deeper as the Lord use us to sharpen one another and to encourage each other to draw even closer to Him each day.
No man is an island and friends are important to many of us. Whether we have many friends or few friends, or whether we are fortunate to have good and close friends, we can't deny the fact that we need friends around to rub shoulders with us.
It's pal's birthday but I did not get to celebrate with her today. However, I knew she had an awesome time doing something she enjoyed greatly, and to me that's more important =)
Pal has been a great friend, a wonderful friend. It's amazing how we got so much closer over just the last 2 years or so. We've known each other first as colleagues, back in August 1999. We first met in April 1999 when we were both scheduled for an interview with the Board of Ministry when we applied to be Christian Ministry Staff (CMS) in the Methodist Schools. Subsequently, we met only at the monthly CMS meetings and hardly had contacts with each other - guess there wasn't much to converse about as we are on different journey in our life - she in the primary school ministry and I in the secondary school ministry; she as a mother and wife and me being one without family commitments.
It was only in the last 2 years that we got really close to each other and began to share deeply with one another. What I appreciated about pal is that she will not hesitate to tell me something she knew I needed to hear - even if it's something that hurts. She will say it for my sake, and out of love. I've learnt a great deal from her - her endurance in the midst of difficulty, her patience in toiling on this learning journey even though many times it became really too much for her, an attitude in her that she will just give her best even though she knew she wouldn't be an A student, her wisdom in handling inter-personal relations and manage ways of life. Words cannot describe what I've learnt from her and how I've benefitted from this friendship.
I really thank God for pal and for the way she has been such a great friend. Pal once said that the reason why we could click so well was because when she shared her thoughts and feelings very honestly, I do not come across as condemning or judgmental, even though I knew that some of the things she shared isn't right in the eyes of God and men. I merely let her voice her piece, and would gently tell her my views without forcing my way through - given her wisdom and experience in life, she don't need me to tell her what to do, she already knew her decisions - all she need was a listening ear that would hear her honest struggles and feelings.
The other reason I guess we are really good friends is because we gave each other space - we knew we both have friends apart from each other, and we don't demand the need to always having to spend time together, yet we know when we need one another, we are just a call away. That was something I knew was important to pal - the space to be herself, and for me, the space to be myself as well.
Pal is one of the good friend amongst the many I had, and I really thank God for her. My only "regrets" I guess was, I had not been able to be around when she needed support most many years back - between 2002 to about 2004 or so when she had 2 rough patches she need to go through. My prayer is that I will be a blessing to pal much more than she had been a blessing to me, and that this friendship will truly take on deeper as the Lord use us to sharpen one another and to encourage each other to draw even closer to Him each day.
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