Friendship Over the Years; Ma'am Veron and Ma'am Jenny

She is my best of all best friends; not by choice but by God's will.

Do you have anything like that in your life?

If yes, then you are blessed, a beloved child of the Universe.

If none, then you have not yet lived life to the fullest; you had missed one half of it.

We started being friends in 1995 when I started working in Systems Plus Computer College (now Systems Plus College Foundation) in Balibago, Angeles City Philippines.

My daughter was in second year high school at that time. My daughter now is married, also a teacher in SPCC, and having two children. We have been friends even before I became a grandma. Now I am a grandma of five grandchildren, and my eldest granddaughter is in the university taking up Architecture.

And Ma'am Veron and I still stick together.

When my marriage broke up in 1994, my son tend to blame me and became rebellious so he married at age 18; it was a show of revenge to me. In 1997, he came to join me with his young family. In 2000, his twins boy and girl were born. It was a very difficult time for me; Ma'am Veron was the angel to help my son's family, both psychologically, emotionally and at times financially; I was so embarrassed when my daughter-in-law would go to her home and offered to work for pay because she had nothing to feed her small children; and worst, she would borrow money from Ma'am Veron without my knowledge.

Ma'am Veron is not just my personal best friend but an angel too fr my children.

Now my son is already a successful businessman and his children are enjoying their financial success. They live far from us. My eldest granddaughter is in Far Eastern University in Manila, taking up Architecture. My twins grandchildren are now graduating elementary in a very prestigious and expensive Ateneo de Cebu, in Cebu City.

Even in family affairs such as birthdays and graduations in my family, Ma'am Veron

was there.

In every turn of our lives within these 17 years, Ma'am Veron and I know and most often witness to each other's affairs. In the job, in the family, in all the affairs, in the education of my daughter; she always did what she can.

Many a times, Ma'am Veron would tell everyone that I am not her best friend anymore because of my being eccentric; I do a lot of things contrary to what our peers expect everyone to do but God's will always prevail.

I believe that a best friend is a God-send into our lives. She is an angel in the form of human to lighten our loads when life is too much to bear.

What have I done for Ma'am Veron?

Ma'am Veron will be the one to tell, who I am in her life.

I just know that both of us are blessed with each others' presence in each of our lives, over the years...yes, friendship over the years.