long distance friendships

The couple I love... and the couple I will miss terribly.
I promise to see you in Singapore soon and as often as I can!
(Mabuhay ang budget airlines!!! Mabuhay!!!)

I often tell people that friends are God's living love letters to me. I know how much God loves me because He has blessed me with incredibly wonderful friendships. Being somewhat aloof and often mistaken to be cold and masungit, I treasure the people who've broken through my walls and love me inspite of my moody, cranky ways.

That's why I'll miss J&J.

I have known them individually and known them as a couple. While it never occurred to me that they might end up together (come to think of it, I don't think that ever occurred to them, either), seeing them now I wonder how we could have missed it. They're a perfect fit. And no, I don't just mean in size... :P

I told you, perfect fit :)

But the best thing about J&J is that I have a great friendship with both. I met J1 in university, an acquaintance that has stretched into a friendship that I never imagined would last this long. J2 I met in church, where in His Divine Sense of Humor, He put me as her shepherd (well, co-shep, to be technically accurate) even when she is far, far, far ahead of me in that curve.

back in our single, OFW days

on a trip to Boracay

So to lose them both to Singapore was a blow felt twice over. Suddenly, there was a very big hole in my social circle. And again, I don't just mean in size... :P

We had the perfect set-up for Friday nights. J1 worked nights and J2 worked days. So on Fridays I would be J2's date and she would be mine. When J1 got off work, he'd join us, we'd hang out for a while, then I would go home and they have their quality time together. Everybody wins.

Losing them makes me feel like I've lost my Friday nights.

I loved the fact that none of us were fancy people. Our Friday dates were often just take out food enjoyed at their home and maybe an occassional movie. Often our entertainment was watching a few episodes of Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother in between loads of kwento. And if we wanted more fun, J1 brought out the board games. He had so many that I sometimes only got to play a game once. I'd sometimes feel disappointed whenever he'd dip into his board game bag (yes.. he had one) and bring out his latest find for Game Night. But that disappointment always gave way to boardgame fun. Some examples:

Evo: the game where even if you win, you die

Life: the game where entering into a long-distance relationship wins you 10,000 points

Castle: the game that required too much thinking

Who will bring us our board games now?

I know moving to Singapore is a wonderful opportunity for their careers and even their relationship as husband and wife. To want and wish for them to stay here would be incredibly selfish. But it's hard not to be when they've done such a wonderful job of making us love them. Sure J1 could be corny and sure J2 could be an over-achiever. But we loved that about them too.

Thankfully, real friendships can stand the test of time and distance. And what I have with J&J is a real friendship. So for now, I'll have to love them from a plane-distance away, with as much love as though they were still here.

See you soon J&J!

Til we travel together again