"Amphie"

I hacked my friend's facebook page without her knowing it...ambushed:-) heheh

This would come as a big surprise to my friend Amphie.  I never mentioned of anything like this but through the years being my friend I have seen her passion with life.  We worked in the same school (less than 10 years together).  She was then a simple Math teacher, skinny like me…I mean sexy with great taste for clothes and everything about her life – choice of a man to marry, desire to finish doctorate in education, get married, be a great wife and mom.  She got all of them. 

I was not close to her at first.  She had her own circle in school.  But since she was a class moderator in the year level that I handled for counseling, we got quite often together during meetings, retreat and recollections with students.  I dropped by her table at the faculty room from time to time also for some small chats until it became longer.  And the good thing  was I found her very sensible to talk with …so exact opposite to the first opinions that I heard about her.  She was that kind of person that you can’t just label by merely looking at  her stern facial expression (pretty face though heheh).    She had (has) such a big heart.

One experience of getting down into the most intimate knowledge of her person was when we joined that silent retreat together for eight days.  My God… she was so brave at being alone in her room while I had paraphernalia of Bible, crucifix, bonnet to cover my head and mind you my small container where I would urinate (so that I did not have to march down that eerie passage towards the restroom...sooo very crazy of me ).  But I would hop in her room from time to time to talk even with the strict command to be silent.   From there I learned that she was getting married soon (and I felt so left alone)  and that she was anxious with the idea of it.  She even thought of trying religious life (ohhh I was thinking of Benjan’s long wait and sacrifice…thank you God it did not push through hahahhaha… obvious anxiety  prior to tying the knot...right?). 

Moving away for a while and a little from that retreat encounter, I knew then  also  that she was up to something related to her career.  That was …success in her field.  She really pursued her doctorate without being distracted with any other opinions that held contrary to where she was.  I admired her for the focus and passion she had with her craft.  She just went straight with it aside from the responsibilities she held in school and being the eldest in the family. 

She was into so many things and I wondered that time how she was able to manage everything (including getting enough sleep haahaha).  Even her wedding was set while she was in her doctorate studies.  She continued studying while she was pregnant.  This one thing I remember she said something like this…. “I don’t want my baby to feel in my tummy that mommy stopped her career because of me”.   Wow…she  just wanted to go straight ahead with her plans regardless  and despite of.  With her very supportive husband, I knew then that she would make it.

After her doctorate, I felt saddened that she had to leave the high school for a much better offer in the college department.  I felt also that she had to do that.  Better challenges for her given her qualifications.  We rarely met but when we had time, she would run through everything she did and the very high motivation she had (even up to the present) to affect lives of students.  She was so open, innovative,  an epitome of motivation and passion with her field.  At her young age getting that doctorate and really using it for service sake is  exemplary.

As a wife also and mother, I knew that she made waves too.  She and her husband Benjan have two kids now and I know that they are doing well as to affecting lives of their children.  The latest that moved my heart and really led me to write this article is the “Smile at the Pediatrics Ward Project”   that they have had ( for the second time) at the hospital  where from what I read with her posting at facebook was the idea and initiative of their daughter that they just supported.  Splendid mother, wife and …family as a whole...great model to families:-)...

And oh, I will never forget to mention this.  You see when I and my husband was into the preparation stage of our wedding, we carefully selected people that would join us in our intimate ceremony.  And we decided to really include Amphie and Benjan for our sponsors.  Reasons are obvious right (aside from the intention of getting Amphie as our wedding singer este …emcee hehehe).  We found them both  great models for the family that I and my husband would like to build up.

Character is all that is that would thrive in life.  This is what I got from my friend.  Amphie’s success in her field would have been nothing without her heart that radiates its beauty and splendor with whatever she touches and treads.  I salute my friend for that and I would say, Amphie is one of the best gifts I have received in side of the journey ...:-) 

Thank you my friend …you are someone I look up to as I continue "knitting" my life  by God’s grace and intervention... long way to go for a newbie...like me:-)  Please don't be pressured (char lang...as if gaka pressure imo beauty hehe)....just continue to be my model...ohkiehhhh? heheh mwah mwah....