Warmest greetings to everyone who celebrated/will celebrate their birthday this June --- Me last June 1st ahaha, Tatang my dearest lolo, AteRon and Jeremy on June 2nd, then Yen on the 19th, Kate on the 22nd, AteRi and Kokiks on the 23rd. Whew.

I'm going to write a comprehensive post or something next time because this is long overdue and I just want to greet everyone. Sometimes I can't figure out why I don't have the time when all we really do is go out, but you know how it goes if you've got balikbayans. AND we're making the most out of their stay, I mean come on we haven't seen Kristoffer in like 13 years and all we've got now is one lousy month or so ahaha.

So okay I said I don't believe Ladytron. Their song Seventeen says "They only want you when you're seventeen, when you're twenty-one, you're no fun..." BLOODY NO.

Anyway last Thursday, my birthday, we had a huge celebration for: yeah my birthday, Tatang's birthday, and Papa Noel and Tatang's despedida. We were supposed to invite our other friends and churchmates but the relatives alone occupied the entire place. And STILL there were not enough seats and tables. So we only got to invite a few. And Jordan wasn't able to go, so I guess I'll just see him next time he comes to Manila.

We prepared a presentation showing snippets of Tatang's life, plus loads of pictures. We even got pphotos of him and Ima when they were newly married, bellbottoms and all. I miss him already, and Papa Noel too. After dinner, Papa Noel, Dad, Papa Al, Tito Jingle, Tito Lito, and other uncles gathered around and played the songs they used to sing.


When I saw them, I remembered Dad's stories of him and Papa Noel playing the guitar and singing all night long in their room. I saw the two of them together, the best of friends, enjoying each other's company. And it made me sad --- sometimes it's just so unfair that we have to be apart from people we love, that your time together has to be cut short.

When we brought Tatang and Papa Noel to the airport last Saturday, I knew I was going to cry. I'm not one to easily burst into tears, it takes much more than some unfortunate events to make me cry. It always has something to do with people leaving, or misunderstandings. And it's always about people I love, and I guess that's how it is for everyone. You just can't be bothered to shed tears for someone you don't care about. And you know what, it was the saddest thing to see my Dad and Papa Noel hugging each other and saying goodbye because ultimately, it reminds me of Kate and I. Dad always says we remind him of the two of them because we're really close, and he keeps on reminding us that we have to realize we're not going to be together forever. It's crazy to think about it as early as now but things are slowly changing and our decisions are majorly affected by our desire to always be together.

And to see Tatang in tears too was almost unbearable, with Imman clinging to him sobbing so hard. There is truth in the movie "Love Actually", that airports are the happiest and saddest places in the world. I keep reminding myself that if ever I feel they're too far away, I just have to think that they're just 16hours away, therefore not very very far. But then you can't deny the difference, because I'm highly sentimental --- no more Tatang and Papa Noel in the house. You know, the simple joys of greeting them in the morning while they're having breakfast, or simply knowing they're around. At least we still have Ima, Kristoffer and Mama Pach here, although they'd be leaving too.

There should be no goodbyes. It's the saddest thing in the world. But then again, otherwise we would not realize just how important some people are. So please make sure that people you care about know that you love them.

I don't know if I'm spewing forth drama because of my birthday because it happens to me all the time, I get so philosophical or sentimental or both when June comes around. But I guess I miss Tatang and Papa Noel. God, our family was the happiest in the world this May, when we were all together.