ERNESTO E. MAIPID, JR
The flurry of January reunions has led me to keep thinking about friends. I had followed them throughout my adult life.
30 Years of Friendship
As the new year opened, we gathered with friends from our early years in a Christian community. It was a journey of 30 years. Two by two, we entered the restaurant door. There were 3 in cane (myself, among them), with one even coming straight from her hospital check-up. Naturally, we were no longer as robust as we appeared in the old photos of memory lane that we shared. Our toddlers were now fully grown. Some have even married and with families of their own. We sighed at how quickly every story from our youthful years had gone by!
Most recently, we gathered to ‘break bread’ to thank a mentor of 50 years. We remain in touch with her for our monthly exchange. The fact that she knew my wife and me, even in our single years, impacted me. It was through her guidance that we plunged into marriage for which we now count 42 years.
Next Generation
Our family has grown to seed the next generation. The parents of our daughter-in-law invited us to their 40th wedding anniversary. We reminisced how God put our friendship together. With feelings of joy and gratitude, I realized that our bond is unique. God had put our families together to prepare for the next generation of believers – our grandchildren.
More profound thoughts on family and friendship touched me as we attended a funeral mass. An aneurysm snatched away, a 35-year-old father of a year-old boy. The deceased is a close friend of our second son, who now lives abroad. They shared the robust years of high school, on to their early years of growing families. Here, we were mere representatives of our son. I could not help recalling their high school class years and how close they were to each other. They were like a band of brothers over the years. I whispered to the grieving mother: ‘Mahal hong kaibigan ng anak kong si Paolo, si Leo!’ ( My son, Paolo, is a friend of your son, Leo, whom he dearly loved.)
As I started putting my thoughts together for this article, I stumbled on this quote:
A true friend is not someone we have chosen for ourselves, but rather someone God has placed in our lives for a purpose.
Reflection on Friendships
1. God sends us friends to journey with us.
How true, I thought! God sent us friends to accompany each other on the journey. As couple-friends for 30 years, we fortified our marriages through the years and faced the task of raising good families. In love, we inspired, encouraged, and built up each other. We continue to see each other, re-living our experience of our shared journey.
2. Friends bring God’s presence in our midst.
Friends mentored for 50 years gather to say ‘Thank You!’. God had sent us a beloved religious, on His behalf, making the relationship concrete and real. God used her to convey His thoughts, extend His love, and open His hand to help. Sister revealed God, IN THE FLESH!
3. Friends fulfill God’s purpose.
The marriage of my son and his girlfriend united the two families. Siblings from both parties experienced a more profound connection based on family values. God fulfilled His purpose of oneness in our families!
Friends bring us to God, who yearns to connect, to touch, to love! Let us keep God alive in our midst by maintaining friendships!