Best Friends for Life

Many people will walk in and out of your lives, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.

Twelve years and still counting, that's how long we have known each other. It's still clear to me as to how we met. I was a freshman and he's a sophomore in college. We both took the same Filipino class and it was the best thing that ever happened to us because it definitely turned our lives around.

Given that he is older than me, being friends for a long time seemed absurd. We took up different courses, we had different class schedules.. point is, we were just two opposite people. Have you ever met anyone whom you know that you could have for keeps? My best friend, Erwin, was just that.

We have gone a long way. We have been friends since we started commuting home. Later on, we have been going around town (thanks to his driving skills). We have evolved from eating lousy spaghetti at the canteen to something as absurd as sampaguita ice cream at Ilustrado. We have worked on thesis after thesis and now, we are working on his final thesis for his Masters Degree. 

I'm sure you got friends whom you could simply be yourself -- your confidante. Someone whom you could just be you without ever have to wonder how that person will think of you. He has seen you at your best and yes, even at your worst, he's there because he has chosen to stick by your side no matter what life would bring. In my life, he's probably the oldest one I've got. We have celebrated countless occasions together -- from my 18th debut at the mental institution to graduations. We have decided to be there for each other through thick or thin -- through joys and break-ups, through feasts and famines, and yes, workouts included. 

Until now, I am in awe how we managed to stay friends for so long. The only thought I have in mind is that we remained true to each other. No pretensions. No expectations. We embraced everything about each other --- our strengths, weaknesses, flaws, and all the shortcomings that you could ever think of. We respected each other. We are of maximum tolerance with each other. There is this willingness to always listen, understand, and let go if we have hurt each other. Though we're never together all the time, we both know that we got a friend in each other. 

It's not everyday that we get to meet people who will stay in your life for a long time. I truly praise the Lord for allowing me to enjoy 12 birthdays of him. This year, I want the world to know that I am blessed to have a friend like him. It is my prayer that God would grant all his desires for he only deserves the best. May he soar higher and may he reach the goals that he has set for himself. May he excel in all his endeavors. And lastly, may his heart always be filled with love to the point that it will overflow so that he will have so much more to share to the people around him. 

To my best friend, Erwin, you are awesome. Stay blessed. Happy birthday, twin!