Dear Running Warrior,
For all that had been, there are 5 things that I would like to thank you for---
•
For every day fun and laughter. You are a poor joker, bad in math, master blooper but your one liner banats are truly remarkable. The everyday dosage of semplang is like vitamin that never fails to lift up our mood. Totoy bibo, crowd’s favorite, may sapi minsan (kaya hambogon man), madaming fans and certified crush ng bayan (weeehhh!). Gaya ng sabi ko sa’yo – kahit ano o sino ka tanggap ka namin, pinili ka (kasi wala ibang choice). At kung magdadala ka ng malaking lata at maglalakad-lakad sa centro hehe ‘di kita tutulungan pero sasabay pa rin ako sayo (kahit sobrang nakakahiya) hahaha!
•
For the chance of knowing your friends and family. Thank you for welcoming us in your home and for allowing us to meet your great family, we really enjoyed it, it was super fun.
•
Thank you adventure companion. We’ve been to many adventures—road trips to the hidden beaches, falls and beautiful bicol sceneries, hike in mt. isarog, calaguas weekend, caramoan escape, albay adventure and the coming soon sagada trip. Thank you for the coko café breakfasts, pansit canton lunch in my apt, GD and sta cruz’ snacks. The memorable dinners at Karlos, Molino, Chicken Bacolod, Grill Plus, Mcdonalds, Shakeys, and more. The countless Coffee and Co sessions (with a spy), Starmark times, Kwentong Starbucks and the heartwarming TCB moments (ang sacred space sa favorite couch). Birthday surprises. Christmas parties. Disco nights. Toing-its and sungka games. Basketball games. Eucharistic celebrations. Processions. Movies and sound trips. Buko juice buckets and videoke concerts. Photo shoots and kung fu panda poses.
•
Thank for your constant presence (kumbaga sa student-perfect attendance, sa guard-on duty, sa doctor on call…) Thank you for sharing yourself in this friendship--lights and shadows, ups and down, laughter and tears, runs and pauses, talks and air gaps, humility and humbugs, insights and reflections, kaaway at kakampi, funny arguments and stimulating conversations, crowd and solitude, coded stories and bold assumptions, maturity and hayskulon, waaah and weeeh, choices and options, heartaches and heart leaps, beauty and madness. Thank you for sharing the joy in the sunshine and for resonating with the magical moon. Sa alon ng buhay, ihip ng hangin, tibok ng puso. I believe in my heart that you are the brother God forgot to give me but he surely made up for that—He allowed you to be my friend.
•
Thank you and ‘good morning sunshine’. Among many things that I’ll miss having you around is our morning road runs. Maogma na makaiba ko kamo sa jogging, sa training and actual runs. Kamo ang idol ko. Thank you for the patiently waiting at AdNU main gate, thank you for keeping up with my pace as we run, thank you for sharing the blessings at sunrise. Thank you for the opportunity of running with you from our simple jogging days up to the great 80km ultra marathon. Future road runs will be tough for me because both of you will not be around anymore. Salamat sa tips, techniques and encouragement. See you at the finish line soon.
I am deeply happy that after two years of rerouting, you are going back home. God had called you and blessed you with a gift of vocation, may you remain committed to it in times of consolations and desolations. May you find reason to stay beyond cognitive understanding and feelings, may you always have a discerning heart and may you never forget that all is grace. Palagi at‘di ako titigil na kulitin at lambingin si God na ‘wag kalimutan pakinggan ang iyong mga dasal, panatilihing payapa ang puso at isipan at palaging may saya sa damdamin..
I look forward to life thinking I’ve been friends with you—it’s truly a blessing, having a friend like you, a silent miracle. Indeed, I am lucky
(but still, you are luckier wahahaha).With love and prayers,
heartbeat*
