A Birthday, A Moving Out and An Ode to Friends

(Oh no! I missed a month and JUNE at that! June is my birthday month and also one extremely eventful month in our life since this was when we finally moved in our new house, I got sick, then Hansy got sick...so you get the picture. Excuses! Still, this month has really reminded me of the beauty and blessing of friendships. And, I will still write about that...even though it's already July.)

When you have moved so many times in life, it is only natural that you have a scattering trail of friends left behind in all the places you've been (unless you are a total anti-social kind of person). And although I hate the goodbyes, I treasure the friendships and the thought that I've a reason to go back and visit these old places. And my birthday highlights just how blessed I am with such people!

Ok my birthday wasn't a big bang of anything...It was just a normal day with cake and ice cream, and heartwarming birthday wishes from simple 'hbd!' to picture greetings. (I gotta love Facebook for that...) And there are those extremely thoughtful over-the-mail gifts like this...

Courtesy of Ma'am Pressy! I love the little hand-written notes! (Note: Goodies for Hansy not in the picture...coz' they're all eaten up already!)

 I can't help being teary-eyed to think someone (who I don't see everyday and is far away) would remember my birthday in this way. This other gift is from a fellow stay-at-home mom whom I've become really good friends with here in Polomolok...

Thanks to Alma Juala for this...She totally knows I love blue! (She also has a matching red one!)

I am blessed with friends who know what kind of simple things I'd be most happy with! (I read somewhere that good friends are one of those "things" money can't buy :). I feel so "wealthy" in a cashless way! Haha!) What I see beyond the tangible gifts are the gifts of beauty, creativity and functionality along with the gifts of their time and effort...Who won't be sooo happy with these presents?

Fast track to two weeks and four days after, we were finally able to move to our new house! Yippee! Hurray! But wait...on the day of the move it rained. When the rain finally stopped, my uncle's multicab (which we were gonna borrow) broke down. Then, it started drizzling again. We were going to postpone the move, when I remembered my neighbor's beverage business. They have a small truck that they use for deliveries. I sent  Marlou a text message asking if we could rent it may be tomorrow (which was a Sunday and hopefully a no-deliveries day). Instead of simply replying, she went over our apartment and said (well something to this effect hehe), "Why not do it today? Coz' today our workers can help with carrying the stuff. Just give them merienda for their trouble..." In short, we didn't have to rent any truck. I was told not to be silly like I was "others" (I don't know if you understand that expression, but basically it means I'm not a stranger so I can ask favors from them haha!) Then, our fellow boarders also helped with loading our stuff and all. Our move wasn't postponed after all! Thanks again to good neighbors who considered us friends! (Too bad I didn't think of snapping a photo when they were hauling our things!)

Based on these two main events in June, I've several realizations/epiphanies:

1. Friendship isn't measured in length of time. Whether you knew them for a long or short time, you can have good friends!
2. In our era, distance is no longer a good excuse to stop keeping in touch with friends.
3. Be good to your neighbors. I am reminded of Proverbs 27:10 (NIV) that says, "Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative's house when disaster strikes you-- better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away."  (So true!)
4. When your life touches others in a positive way, they never let you forget it :).
5. It is the unseen gifts behind the physical ones that are more important and precious.
6."What you sow is what you reap." I translate this saying into: Be the good friend to gain good friends!

In our new neighborhood, the houses around us aren't occupied yet, but I've met the couple who'd be moving in the peach house to our left. They've planted some flowers in their plant box, but they were kinda drooping already. Remembering how good my previous neighbors were to me, I offered to water them too when I do my water bucket round in our yard.

It's time to sow seeds of friendship once again!

P.S. I know my mom will be reading this. A big thank you to you, Papaski and Bethel too for all the support (be it birthday, moving out, and even settling in)! You've effectively done so even from a far!