"True friendship also means making a heartfelt effort to understand the convictions of our friends, even though we may never come to share them or accept them."

-St. Josemaria Escriva -

(Furrow, pt. 746)

This happens to be one of my all-time favorite friendship quotes and an apt introduction to this particular post. I had several encounters with friends past and present this week, enough to reflect on a blog post.

I had arranged to have a chika-thon cum dinner with I.P., an old college friend, maybe to propose to her something of a generous nature as well. She's doing quite well and is now a working mom. Will finally get to see her tomorrow (and dinner is on her tab as well---this pre-resident still doesn't have a penny to her name). I shall be reminiscing a lot with her, that I can already foretell.

My bestfriend C.P.'s younger brother sent me an unexpected text earlier this week.... inviting me to go out with him and his big sister! I guess he will probably be tagging along when I meet her for a heart-to-heart pre-Christmas talk, and will probably appeal to her generosity as well. We'll probably drop him off to play some video games at the mall while we have our little exchange of confidences somewhere else. I remember expressing to her in no uncertain terms my dismay about an upcoming life-decision she decided to make, and found out she had gone on with it (but, with an unexpected twist!), so there will be a lot to discuss.

I was going through a social networking site when I was stopped by some somewhat disturbing photos of herself which Y had posted. I don't think I'll ever say to her anything about it electronically (our only mode of communication right now is via e-mail and social networking sites), but maybe I'll speak my mind if we do get to see each other when she happens to be in town... I know that her life took another turn, definitely what I never anticipated, but I'm wondering why it seems she's suddenly throwing everything she learned out of the door... It's dis-heartening to say the least...

Then, yesterday, I got an unexpected phone call from S.S., med-school classmate, internship (a.k.a. senior clerkship) groupmate, and once-upon-a-time unintentional target of my somewhat insensitive tirade of "I don't wear anything sleeveless... The more you show, the less of a person you become!" I don;t remember apologizing for that so true fact, but I guess from the excitement of her voice when she called and her eagerness to get-together with me come Sinulog (fbig feastday in our city) when she'll be in town (even if I told her that there's a good possibility she'll have to look for me in the hospital since I already sort of volunteered to my seniors to go on duty as I had no desire to go out that day...), by-gones are by-gones. Now doing her residency in her hometown, she decided to give me a call after reading my account of pre-residency days in our class groupmail account.

Friendship is the spice of life, the little added thing that makes the unpalatable tasty.