Remembering A Friend On Christmas

Checking on my Facebook account earlier today, I saw a post about Jay Lorenzo’s last forum comment in a website dedicated to Philippine mountaineering. And I just felt I wanted to reflect on this and share it with you in the light of the coming Holiday Season.

Jay was a classmate of mine back in high school. Aside from the fact that his family name was Lorenzo, and mine was Martinez, which meant that, alphabetically-arranged, we were just a few seats apart in class most of the time, I did not really know him that well. But being classmates with him for a good number of years certainly welded a bond of brotherhood which usually remained unspoken especially for an all-boys class like ours.

Fastforward to our 20th year reunion for our high school batch last year, 2008. After 20 long years, we had planned to make the event a big one as a kick off for our 5-year preparation for our Silver Jubilee which will fatefully coincide with our Alma Mater’s Centennial Celebration on 2013, the grandest of celebrations.

Being part of the core group which organized that particular reunion, we had to make sure that attendance to the said event would be as comprehensive as possible. Anyone we could access to would be contacted – whether it be thru email, cellphone, landline, pasabi sa kamag-anak or kapitbahay, or even a personal visit. It was usually a combination of the above. And it was the only way that we could get in touch with long-lost classmates - those classmates we haven’t really gotten In touch with since we graduated from high school.

And in my case, Jay belonged to that “long-lost” group. I think that the last time I saw Jay was way back in high school. It was not even on Graduation Day as Jay chose to transfer schools in the middle of high school so he didn’t get the chance to graduate with us.

So, on reunion day, I got reconnected with Jay. It was not really that unlikely even if, as I said, Jay and I weren’t really that close back in high school. Jay has remained to be the friendly and amiable person that he was way back then. He was the walang-masamang-tinapay kind of guy. It was quite easy to approach him and exchange stories with him.

I learned quite a few things about his life after high school. Most notable was that he worked with PAL, he loved mountaineering, and he also had a passion for photography as evidenced by the camera he brought to shoot remembrances of that particular reunion. Both Jay and I actually became the unofficial photographers of the said event. We even made a face-off while shooting each other’s photos since photographers like us are the least photographed subjects in events like those. But in such a short amount of time, I came under the impression that Jay lived life to the fullest. The hobbies and activities he pursued were what he really wanted. And we were both happy that we had that common interest in photography – something we had not discovered yet when we were in high school.

So when the news of his tragic death due to a motorcycle accident last June 12, 2009 reached us, it came as an unbelievable shock.

Upon going to his wake, we met his family, friends and colleagues. And right there and then, we knew that this man was well-loved and respected. Friends from his mountaineering club were there with shirts printed with the message bidding Jay farewell on his final climb. And until now, months after he passed away, stories and fond memories of how he touched lives continue to get posted on the internet.

So you may ask, what does this have to do with Christmas?

Everything about Jay’s life and death has something to do about Christmas.

In this season where most of us would be attending parties and reunions, reconnect with the people who have touched your lives. There doesn’t have to be mushy moments when we reunite with people we once built memories with. But a simple update on what has been happening to each other’s lives is a good way to rekindle the bond that might have gotten blurred by time.

It is not only with how you view your relationship with these people. But conversely, it is also how these people around you would view their relationship with you. As with my dear friend Jay, I saw many things in him which somehow made me reflect on the things we value in life.

We always say that we should live life to the fullest. But really, how much to the fullest extent of living are we truly being alive? Pursue your goals and dreams. It is never too late to start on a new dream. You are never too old to take on a new hobby. Take what life offers you. It is never too late to do what you have always dreamed of when you were a kid. It is never too late to realize that making tons of money will not bring you the fulfillment you have always wanted. The mountains that Jay climbed may be metaphors for the goals you want to conquer. Chase your life’s passions. It is with these passions that we feel truly alive. People always say that life is short. But really, how short is short?

This Christmas, let each of our lives be our gift to one another. In the same way that Christ offered His own life for us, let us offer our own lives to one another, even to our very own selves. Let us be inspirations to one another and help each other live our lives to the fullest. Let us not waste the gift of life our Creator gave us. Share what you can share for there is enough for everyone. Material things are just there to be instruments for us to show that humans can care. And when other people seem to have been jaded by the harsh realities of the world, let them know that there are still people who still care. Dare to make a difference.

Jay has already completed his climb in the mountains of this world. Our turn is not yet over. At the end of our journey, all of us would meet there at the top. And when that time comes, it would be a great realization that we have helped each other along the way.

Merry Christmas, everyone! And to my dear friend, Jay, Merry Christmas to you, too. See you at the top. Just not too soon, I hope. =)

K88 Krismas Kampayan

K88 is having its Annual Christmas Party Celebration on December 29, 2009 at Jay Ravalo's place in San Miguel, Pasig.

Everyone's invited to attend.

For details, just email us at kumbento88@gmail.com. We would love to see everyone there. Especially for those classmates who would be coming home from abroad for the holidays, this is the perfect chance for you to re-connect and have fun with us.

So mark the date - December 29, 2009. Festivities start at 7PM. Be there early so you won't miss any of the fun.

Come one! Come all!

Sagip Kalikasan

Kumbento88 joins the rest of the PCC Alumni Association and the Pasig community in calling for more awareness regarding our environment. Alay Lakad sa Kalikasan was held last December 6, 2009.

Kumbento88, Kumakalinga sa Kalikasan