You have blessed me with good things and plenty
and surrounded my table with friends
their love and their laughter enrich me
together we sing your praise...
When I think of my friend Hannah, it makes me want to sing these lines from Dan Schutte's "All My Days".
I met her through my late boss and mentor Fr Niall O'Brien. Like Fr Niall, she too is a foreigner in love with anything Filipino. She speaks basic Tagalog and so proud of it! A videoke queen, she sings Tagalog classics like a pro! She loves adobo, lechon manok, tinolang bangus. She has an English-Ilonggo Bible, too. Her house has a little museum of all her precious Filipino collections from Philippine flag, to mugs, to statues. Name it, she just might have it! Her favorite hero? Jose Rizal. Her favorite saint? San Lorenzo Ruiz. She named her son Joseph Lorenzo.
Joseph's father is a Filipino hailing from the same town where Fr Niall lived and served for many years. Fr Niall's death brought us closer together as we grieved and reminisced beautiful memories we both were privileged to share with him. It is a gift we both are thankful for.
I am continually amazed at how many times she's helped me through the dark moments of my life, when she too, is struggling to make it through. In a lot of ways, she is a sister, a family who is there for me and with me, no matter the distance. I think God especially sent her to tell me how important and loved I am. Because that's how she makes me feel.
She's visited the Philippines a few times and each visit is never complete without coming to Bacolod to see us. As much as I want to share her photos here, I can't. Like me, she doesn't want to be photographed. hehe So instead I am sharing a photo-video I made for Joseph, for his birthday three week ago. This has made her cry a river already so I'm trying my best to avoid making this little tribute melodramatic.
Happy birthday, dear friend. Thank you for the gift of friendship. Thank you for spoiling me with books, chocolates, praises, encouragement, prayers, laughter, tears. Thank you for treasuring and loving Abe like your own son, it means so much to me. He will grow up loving Tita Hannah who not only spoils him, too, with books, toys and whatnot, but also draws sharks for him via webcam. It is not by chance that our paths had crossed, but by divine intervention as you call it.
Sometimes it is not easy to keep believing in the midst of tribulation, but with a friend like you, life becomes worth living.
4 comments:
Anne, no way can I put in words how I feel reading your precious blog. What a gift you have been to me: "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter, he who finds one finds a treasure."
Hannah! Happy birthday! Thank you for loving Anne2 and the whole family. We all love you. Thank you for coming into our life. Though we don't really get in touch the way you and An do, I really think you are super part of the family. Thus making us sisters? hehehe wishing you all of God's best blessings! Kisses to you and Joseph from us!
It is such a great joy to find someone who's there for you. A true friend is a treasure and thos of us who has one are fortunate and blessed.
The tribute was so touching and beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
greymom! glad to see you! thanks for dropping by and for letting me know you did!
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