Cherishing the Most Enduring Friendships

PASSION MATTERS. From left: Sir Jonathan Marquez, Sir Rolly Caidic, Ma'am Jonna Vee Juridico, MADAM NADINE GATON, Mrs. JQ Quemada, your author, and Mr. Mark Idang

Common interest turns acquaintances into friends. Mutual passion solidifies friendship into family.

Last Saturday, I was able to see my family from the Laguna Secondary School Paper Advisers Association, the reason why I have fallen deeper in love with writing. We see each other seldom, but when we do, we really make sure we enjoy each others’ company, to the point that we become unconsciously inconsiderate of the people outside our group.

For this session, we visited the simple but inviting home of our colleague, Mark Anthony Perolina Idang, at the quiet Bay Homes. His house is cozy, gives one the impression of warmth and relaxation, far from the stress of mundane living.

Present in the meeting were our ever-hardworking President/visionaire extraordinaire Nadine Gaton, our ever low-profile perennial big winner Jonathan Marquez, Sir Rolly Caidic, who will surprise the local academe with an upcoming promotion, the jolly Ma’am JQ Quemada, Ms. Jonna Vee Juridico, who skipped class for the meeting, your author, and the gracious wife of our host, Mrs. Noemie Idang, who fed us with the sumptuous Pork in Alamang, Liver Steak, and a hefty supply of Rambutan and Banana.

As usual, we only talk about our common passion- Campus Journalism. We divulged our aspirations and dreams and shared trade secrets on how we can make it to the apex of our favorite season of the year, the National Schools Press Conference. Ma’am Nadine and Sir Jonathan are already perennial winners, and hearing them grab recognitions each year is no longer surprising. My stars collided in 2009 when I won as champion in Newspaper Page Designing in the Regional level and 3^rd in the National level in Tagum City. These achievements never did anything to decrease my inferiority when I am seated beside these two outright geniuses.

It is our passion that has kept our relationship alive and kicking. We were strangers then, but today, we welcome each other with great pride and joy. We even tell each other secrets that we can’t tell our own blood and flesh. We really love each other to death.

I do hope that we will stay like this, because when life gets tough or when dreams come true, it’s nice to have a family who can share your aspiration, joy and pain- a family that I choose to love and cherish until my final breath.