I was saying goodbye to BFF Fe last night after our regular chat when a message from Facebook jolted me with the news of an old friend’s passing. There was a request not to use social media to comment or publicize it, so out of respect for the family, I cannot dwell or mention who it was or who she was to me. But I was deeply touched because I was one of half her list of friends who got the invite to her wake and her funeral in Manila. There will be a time to write about that when the family allows me to.
For now, I bow my head down in prayer knowing she’s at peace and no longer in pain.
I wanted to post this status update publicly on my own FB page, but I was afraid that I would get too many queries and bring attention to someone’s passing. So instead I sent this to my dearest friends in private, and I’m sharing it here.
“Today is a day for me to reflect on the friendships and the people who have come into and gone out of my life as I learn of others moving on and others coming back and bouncing back. All I can say is thank you to those who have blessed my life with their friendship through the years. To those back home, I miss you all and wish you were but a phone call away and we could meet up in Makati or The Fort or some such place. I thank God for bringing each and every one of you into my life — no matter how brief, or how long, or far back. Please stay in touch… I will try to do the same.”
And to my friend from waaaaay back — no matter how brief our elementary years were, and how we were brought back together in recent years because you stumbled into my little space here, you will always be remembered and tucked away in a special place in my heart. I will always remember how I visited you in yours as you chronicled your battle and separately, as you wrote about your family adventures. More importantly, I will never forget your infectious laughter and unbroken spirit even in the face of all that you bravely fought. Rest in peace, my friend.
Pinay New Yorker 