To my Father, Brother, Best Friend, and Savior…

I’m taking this chance to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. No words can describe how grateful I am that you’re with me. All through my life, you never left my side, through the good times and the bad. I’ve been through so much, been through a lot of hurt and miserable moments, and through all that, you’ve helped me overcome my fears, my doubts, my weaknesses. I never could have done it without you. You helped me realize my worth, you made me feel that I am loved, no matter what.

Thank you so much… there have been times when I thought I couldn’t take the pain anymore, there were times when I felt I could no longer stand the loneliness, but you were there to comfort me and tell me that everything is going to be all right. Through wonderful people and things, you reached out to me and reminded me that life goes on. Because of you, I saw that life is worth living, that there’s still so much in store for me, that I shouldn’t waste my life in unimportant things. You taught me how to TRUST, and you strengthened my FAITH. It wasn’t easy, but I did it. I did it because you were there… you held my hand… and that was all I needed.

I’m so BLESSED to have you. Thank you for protecting my heart, I feel so at peace when I know that you’re in control. I don’t ever wanna be without you. Thank you for using me for your glory. I love you so much.

With all my heart,
Angel

I saw this TV show the other day about friendship, and it was so heartwarming I cried. It was a true story of a man who discovered friendship in an unlikely way. He took pity in a homeless person on the street, so he helped him, gave him money and spent time with him… and this compassion led to a relationship wherein he was able to treat this person as his own brother. He learned to trust him, he believed in him and he even taught him to read and write. He even influenced him to stay away from the “gang” that was always dragging him along crime sprees.

But their friendship was put to a huge test when he arrived one day at his home and found his room ransacked. He was told that the one responsible was the “gang” and that his friend was seen with them. He couldn’t take it, he was heartbroken and he felt betrayed. He rushed to the precinct where they were contained, and expressed his disappointment and anger. His friend told him he didn’t have a choice, because they were threatening him that if he didn’t go with them, they will hurt the friend that took him away from them in the first place… HIM. Which was the truth really. But he didn’t believe him, he was so angry. The scene was so heartbreaking. The pain of betrayal. I could almost feel it.

One night, he was walking home when the gang ambushed him and one was about to stab him with a knife. Well, guess what happened? His friend took the blow instead. He dived out of nowhere, and he was the one stabbed instead. He died. With the death of his friend, he wondered, what would have happened if he had given his friend another chance. Things might have turned out differently. But too late, his friend died saving his life.

After watching the show, it made me think. There really ARE people out there who are willing to die for a friend. Imagine yourself taking a bullet to save a friend’s life. I mean, it’s not something EVERYONE can do. Would you do that for someone? Or rather, do you have someone in your life, a friend… that you’re willing to die for? It once again made me realize how amazing TRUE and UNCONDITIONAL friendship can be. It’s even worth dying for.

Do you have a friend worth dying for?

Copyright©2008angel

My brother gave me a YouTube link this morning, saying I have to watch it because it’s the best video he’s ever seen. I was intrigued by his intro, so I watched the clip. Guess what, it sent goosebumps all over my body! This story has become so popular and is all over the Internet so I’m sure most of you might have come across this months ago, but it only just reached me now, and I felt compelled to post it here to share it with those who haven’t seen it yet.

It’s a story about an exceptional lion raised by two young Australian men, John Rendall and Ace Berg. They bought the lion cub from a store, they saw it was cramped and lonely in his cage, so they decided to bring the poor little guy home. They raised him as a pet, named him Christian, and it was the start of an amazing friendship and loyalty among the three. But when Christian grew bigger, they didn’t have a choice but to release him back into the wild. So they enlisted the help of George Adamson, the known “Father Of Lions“ and after some time, though it wasn’t easy, they were able to release Christian successfully into the wild.

After a year, Christian got accustomed to life in the wild and was even leader of their pride. John and Ace decided to visit him again, and despite warnings from George, that Christian might not recognize them anymore, they went ahead and sought their beloved lion. So what happened, you ask? Well, if you don’t know… you go find out for yourself by watching the video.

It’s such a heartwarming story about friendship, and how even a vicious animal like a lion is capable of love and affection. I have to admit, I was nearly moved to tears when I watched the video. If you haven’t heard of Christian, The Lion… you have to watch the video, and while you’re at it, you can watch the whole documentary dedicated to him too. It’s definitely worth the watch.

Copyright©2008angel

A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn’t know your parents’ first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about their problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend knows that it’s not a friendship until after you’ve had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

Author Unknown

I have not a friend left on this planet,
And no place left to go.
All of my life I have wondered what it would be like to lack one of my gifts,
And now I know what it is like to be hated.
To be cast out into the cold and cruel world and ignored by every person whom I may turn to.

To not be wanted…

Now, after all of my time of searching,
I now know what it is like to lack one of my most important gifts.
I now know what it is like to lack…

Friendship.

Morris Lawson

Let’s say you’ve just broken up with your ex, will you be willing to still be friends with him?

I remember this conversation that I had with my cousin a while back, I remember asking her, “How can you still be friends with your ex? How can you move on, when you still see him and hang out with him?” My cousin just shrugged and told me that it’s just the way it is. They both don’t have hard feelings for each other despite the breakup, so there’s nothing wrong with being friends even though they’re not “together” anymore.

For me, personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with being friends after a breakup. If two people have parted in good terms, what’s to keep them from being friends, right? I mean after all, they do have history, they’ve become lovers and even though that didn’t work out, they still like each other’s company and that’s definitely reason enough to stay as friends. But for bitter breakups or relationships that have ended badly, it’s a lot more difficult.

Usually, people refuse to stay friends with their ex because they’ve been hurt. It may be because they didn’t want the relationship to end in the first place, but unfortunately it has… and they’re just learning to deal with it. As much as possible, they would want to avoid their ex and not be reminded of what used to be, in order for them to really move on. Or maybe, the relationship just ended with both parties hating each other, thus, there’s no possibility for continuing friendship.

It’s also difficult to remain friends when you’re still in love with your ex. I mean, how can you be contented with just being “friends”, right? Every time you see that person, there will always be that longing… deep inside you’re hoping that you’re back together again. So instead of going through even more hurt, you opt not to see that person again, so you could truly move on with your life and find someone new.

There are lots of reasons why people don’t want to be friends with their ex. But in reality, there ARE in fact ex-lovers that end up being friends even right after their breakup. In my opinion, these are relationships that just died a natural death. Meaning, both parties have decided that it’s time for the relationship to end, or maybe both parties feel that they’re better off as friends. Whatever reason they may have, both have accepted the facts and they’re both ready to move on.

I think if I have to answer this question myself, I would say, “It depends.” If the moving on process is hard enough, then maybe in the beginning, I would give myself time to adjust and I won’t have any contact with my ex at all. Getting over someone is hard if you never wanted the relationship to end in the first place. And having him around all the time, when I’m trying to move on, only makes it even harder. I think separating myself away from him for a considerable amount of time, will do the trick. Then when I feel that I’ve truly moved on, and I’m ready to face him again, then maybe we can be friends. After all, I’ve cared about this person once, his friendship would be valuable to me. But of course, it will happen in due time.

How about you, can you be friends with your ex?

Copyright©2008angel