Million reasons to quit, one reason to live

     There was a time when I have a lot of friends. I was a bit shy and reserved. I never really wanted to be popular, but I did want to have someone to share secrets and laughs with. All through junior high school, though, I just slipped in and out of "light" friendships where I didn't find a lot of comfort or companionship. When it came time to go to senior high school, I was quite nervous. I was going to be rooming with someone I didn't know and living in a town 300 miles away from home. There wouldn't be a single person I knew in town. I had no idea how I was going to make friends in this new environment.
     The first week of classes, something happened that changed my life forever. In our Oral Communication in Context class, I was asked (as were all the students) to share a little about myself. I told everyone where I called home and all of the other ordinary details that students share in such situations. The final question for each student was always the same, "What is your goal for this class?" Now, most of the students said it was to get a good grade, pass the class or something similar, but for some reason, I said something entirely different. I said that my goal was to make just one good friend. While most of the students sat in silence, one student came to me and held out her hand and introduced herself. She asked if I could be her friend. The whole room was silent – all eyes focused on us and the hand extended just in front of. I smiled and stretched my hand out to take her's and a friendship was formed. It was a friendship that lasted all through senior high school.
      It was back then when I was about to enter senior high school, I never thought of having a bestfriend. I never imagined that I could be with somebody I can laugh and cry with. I thought that my life as a senior will be the same as before, a loner but everything changed as I found myself wrong because I became bestfriends with the people that I never thought that I could be with. One of them is Angela. You will not like her at first but as the time goes by you'll get to know each other and inch by inch you'll get closer and closer that will form a bond between the both of you that no one could ever set you from her apart. Being her bestfriend is such a great opportunity because having her is also having a mother and a superhero at the same time. She cares like a mom and protects and keeps me away from danger like a real superhero does. She is always at my side whenever I have a problem or something that I cannot burst out to anyone except her. She makes me laugh whenever I'm sad and my crying shoulder everytime I'm in the deepest state of my life. I love her and I treasure her so much. She is a four-leaf clover and a pot of gold of mine at the end of a rainbow.
     Angela Reyes is a friend who you can count on and she'll be there. She might not be perfect in pleasing the world but she can please you that your wolrd can be perfect!

Treasure, that is what you are

     Two men were seriously ill. They occupied the same room in the hospital. One of them was lying in the bed near the only window in their room. Everyday he was allowed to spend some time sitting up in his bed to help draining the fluid from lungs. The other man was forced to spend all his days flat on his back. They talked a lot about their life, families, jobs, vacations. Everytime, when the first man was sitting by the window, he described in details all that he saw outside the window. His roommate always looked for those moments, when his world was broadened and brightened up by the world outside. Amazing views of a park with a beautiful lake could be seen from the window of their room. Children delightfully played among ducks and swans. Couples walked arm in arm among colouTwo men were seriously ill. They occupied the same room in the hospital. One of them was lying in the bed near the only window in their room. Every day he was allowed to spend some time sitting up in his bed to help draining the fluid from lungs. The other man was forced to spend all his days flat on his back. They talked a lot about their life, families, jobs, vacations. Everytime, when the first man was sitting by the window, he described in details all that he saw outside the window. His roommate always looked for those moments, when his world was broadened and brightened up by the world outside. Amazing views of a park with a beautiful lake could be seen from the window of their room. Children delightfully played among ducks and swans. Couples walked arm in arm among colorful flowers. Also the stunning city skyline could be seen.

     When the man by the window had been thoroughly describing all that was happening outside the window, his roommate would close his eyes and imaged all the beautiful scenes of life that were told to him. One night the man, whose bed was near the window, died peacefully during sleep and his roommate was very sad. After some time, when the nurse came to visit him, he asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse agreed and kindly made the switch. When she left, the man slowly and painfully propped himself up on one elbow and took the first look at the world outside. He was stunned. The window faced a blank wall. When the nurse came to visit him the next time, he told her about beautiful things outside the window that his roommate described him. The nurse replied that his roommate was a blind man that probably he just tried to encourage him.

     In life, we encounter different people. Some only care for themselves and some care for others the way they care about themselves. But, the greatest of them all are those people who forget about themselves just for the sake of others. Everyone should appreciate those kind of people because having them is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not all treasures are silver and gold others are those people who encourages you in all aspects of life. The one who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure.

The one that got away no more

Blogger's point of view: Do you think that it's possible that some people are born to give more love than they will ever get back in return?

     There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.
     One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could she everything including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend ask her, "now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears and later wrote a letter to her saying, "just take care of my eyes dear."
     This is how human brain changes when the status changed. Only few remember what life was before, and who's always been there even in the most painful situation. Like her boyfriend's role in the story, let's try to be a rainbow in someones cloud too. Let us spice up their gloomy life. After helping others, some might stay but most people might leave but that's not the end of your story, that's the end of their part in your story.

What a real examination is

     One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and begin to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that fell on his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and totted off!
     Last week's examination was exhausting. It was not the typical questions that I'm used too. The questions are piling up leaving me at the bottom. My only goal is to pass. I was out of no where that time but I noticed something, the questions are interrelated. So, I got an idea and was able to get the answers from the questions stated on the other numbers. Same thing goes in our lives, sometimes problems come and pull us down. But, why not turn it the other way around? The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude about the problem. It is the way how you see them. Don't be pushed by your problem, be led by your goals and dreams instead. Don't problem your problems. Let your problems, problem you. They are not stop signs because in fact, they are guidelines. Guidelines that will teach you on how you should face them and how you should protect yourself against all odds.
     Be like the donkey in the story, set those  problems as your stepping stones for you to be able to reach the top. What's important thing about a problem is not its solution but the strength we gain in finding a solution. Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is to not to get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping and by never giving up. Shake it off and take a step up!

One loyal friend is worth a thousand relatives

Blogger's note: A blog tribute for Jerica Baylosis and Claire Anne Rimbawa. Happy bestfriends day!

     A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand, “Today my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking until they found an oasis where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning but his friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, “Today my best friend saved my life." The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”  The other friend replied, "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”
     I have met two girls who at first glance I'm not attracted to but then as I talked with them with every word, every smile and every laugh they become more beautiful until I can't believe there was a moment I didn't think they were. I never see it coming that we will come to a point that the three of us will become bestfriends. They are like four leaf clover. They are very hard to find but very lucky to have and I'm very blessed that I have found two, Jerica and Claire. They are not that have-it-all type of person because probably, they might not be your ideal friends. They commit mistakes and understand things differently the way I understand it but those differences are perfect in my sight. We fight because of little things but that make us stronger. I'm me when I'm with them because I can express whatever I wanted to. They are someone I can call on whenever I have something I cannot burst out to others. They understand me more than my family does. They appreciate my efforts more than my crush does. Most of all, they made me feel that I'm worth loving and fighting for and my existence is not a big mistake.
     I have realized that as I get older, I'am becoming more selective of who I consider a friend. I find that I would rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies. I have learned that I should not value the things I have in life but value who I have in my life.