My Precious

I've never been a very outgoing person. It takes me a considerable amount of time to warm up to new people that I meet. I'm not a snob or anything. I'm actually quite nice and pleasant. But I don't let people into my life that easily. It would take a while before I allow someone to cross the boundary from "stranger" to "acquaintance," and then from "acquaintance" to "friend." It's not surprising that I only have a handful of people in my inner circle that I consider as really close friends. These people are my chosen ones: those special individuals who have the rare ability to make me laugh, cry, and feel happy and blessed just by having them in my life. They are the people who make me feel good about myself, who have proven that they always have my back and my best interests at heart. They are the people that I cherish the most, that I won't be able to live without. They are God's gifts to me.

In the first quarter of this year, I moved from one job to another. Sadly, I had to leave behind a bunch of dear friends who were my colleagues at my former place of employment. I missed them terribly and we promised to keep in touch, which we did by way of emails, social networking, and text messages. We were always making plans to meet up for lunch or dinner, a weekend brunch or a movie date, but none of those plans materialized. Life happened, we got caught up with our busy schedules, and before we knew it, half a year had gone by without us seeing each other's faces. Although I am happier now with my new job and I've met a new group of colleagues with whom I get along with superbly, I still can't help but feel lonely whenever I remember my girlfriends. I used to see them everyday at the office, eat lunch with them during breaks, and we used to share details of our lives with each other. They've become like sisters to me, but now we only get to text or chat online during weekends.

When I realized that the main reason I was feeling down these past couple of weeks was because I haven't seen my friends for a looooong time, I immediately sent them text messages and emails full of "drama". They responded quickly, and we were able to make last-minute arrangements to meet up for a Saturdate yesterday. I was so delighted to see them again, and all the months apart didn't put a toll on our friendship at all. It's amazing how we picked up where we left off, as if it was only the day before when we last saw each other. We did what we loved doing together best: EATING! Aside from filling our stomachs with yummy food, it was also a gabfest as we filled each other in with the latest stories in our lives. At the end of the day, we were all tired from walking around the mall, talking nonstop, laughing out loud, and just generally monkeying around. But it was one of the happiest Saturdays of the year for me so far. Before parting ways, we promised that our next get-together won't take another half-year. And I'm intent on keeping that promise!

Here's a touching video that my dear friend Bei did when I was about to resign from my previous company:

"True friends don't say goodbye. they just take extended leaves of absence from each other." ~ Bea


..so after half a year of an extended leave of absence, here's my joyful reunion with two of my most precious gals! :D

Saturdate lunch @ TGIFriday's Trinoma, and yummy desserts @ Parvati