As I have always said everytime I share this photo, either on Facebook (if it's active) or Twitter (@CzarinaKristine), this was probably the last photo of us with Ligaya as a single lady. Taken after the Christmas At Home cantata, I remember her pulling me to the stage so we can take this picture.
And today marks her 31st birthday. I have no idea if she is dreading these two numbers but what I do know is that she is celebrating this with a hyphen on her surname, Baradi-Rulloda. Yes, that single lady on the left when the photo was taken is now a MARRIED woman!
From the perspective of her single lady friend, I have to be honest that I felt mixed emotions when she broke the news that she has begun planning her wedding. My initial thought was, "Lord, pag kinasal na si Ligaya, anu nang pag-uusapan namin? E syempre, puro marital kwentos na maririnig ko sa kanya. Di na ako makaka-relate." Yes, may slight selfishness involved.
But the Lord, He is really full of surprises for me this year. What I thought would create a distance between Ligaya and Kristine (as she calls me), even became an even stronger "glue" to bind us as friends.
True, we are at different seasons in our lives. I think we are at Season M; Ligaya treading the waters of being a MARRIED woman, while Kristine still trying to reconcile the idea that she is called a MISSIONARY in the ministry God gave her now. And this season really brought us closer, at a higher and deeper level of our friendship. There are more instances now that we are able to talk about more serious matters. Recently, we have been talking about life changes - my decision to invest a bulk of my time in the ministry and her contemplations on leaving her corporate job to pursue an involvement in a Christian organization.
By God's grace, we have really come a long way; Ligaya has come a long way and I would like to believe, just as any friend would, that she is passing the Lord's "tests" with flying colors. Yes, ako ang president ng fans club ni Ligaya, whether sa kanyang singing career or whatever, I will always be her cheerleader, because I know that she will also be mine.
And so, this is a friend dedicating an entire blog entry to one of God's brilliant gifts to me. I will be forever and always grateful to the LORD Who brought us together. Like what I always say...
Si Ligaya ang kulot sa unat kong buhok,
Si Ligaya ang stricto sa kunsintidor tendencies ko,
Si Ligaya ang iyakin sa tapang-tapangan mood ko.
...and the list goes on. These statements might seem as if I am "glorifying" a friend, but really, this is about the mystery (and humor) of God's mighty hand working in the lives of two of His daughters. We may be two quite different individuals but somehow, the Lord found beauty in our differences by bringing us together; and for that, I believe neither of two of us would question the wisdom of God there.
I would not know if Ligaya would get to read what I have written, but let this be my expression of thanks to the Lord for bringing this blessing in my life. Our "WHY LIKE THAT?" episodes are silenced by God's promise of "THIS TOO SHALL PASS". Two lines that you might probably hear us say a million times over; and there's probably no way that anyone would get the actual context of this super inside joke. But these are exactly the very things that make this gift of friendship a real blessing.
For Ligaya, on your 31st year, I am grateful to the Lord for you. For being the shock absorber of my seemingly endless crying moments, the boarding house I can always got to whenever I feel like not coming home, and for being the Accountant/Auditor of the different aspects of my life (translation: tagasaway).
I look forward to more years of enjoying the gift of friendship our Father has bestowed upon us. Thank God that He is not finished with us yet and our best days are still to come. May you come into a full circle as you fulfill His calling as a wife, giving glory to our Father alone. May He find us faithful as friends, as sisters in Christ, as He transforms us each day from grace to grace to GRACE.
Eternally HIS,
Czaringring
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