Attack of the Mush: To Chuck

We were inseparable.  I remembered how every Sunday we went out at our favorite “tambay” place at Rockwell.  She studied and I, drew, read a book, wrote, or edited photos.  There was little need for talk but on moments we did, we’d come up with a brilliant conversation, about life, love and sometimes even some profound topic about the universe. But mostly, we spoke about life… our lives. 

We used to think that there’s too much drama in our lives and heck, maybe there still is, but we like that.  I called her Chuck from the movie, Good Luck Chuck because we both agreed like the heroine on that movie, she was good at keeping relationships but bad a getting proposals. In fact, she never had one. Well at least during that time, but a simple twist of fate changed all that. She called me Squid, because according to her, I had similarities with the cartoon character Squidworth of Spongbob Square Pants in which to date, I still don’t get, probably because I never really watch that cartoon.

Recently, we don’t get to see each other anymore.  She go married, gave birth to my godson and is now pregnant again. Once, she even told me that she didn’t want to be doctor to the point where she took a sabbatical to think about what she wanted to do with her life.  She was in a family of doctors so you could imagine the pressure.  She used to complain about how difficult it was and that even during the time she was already about to graduate she wanted to leave and pursue another career.  She’d sometimes tell me stories about her patients and how she would see that making a difference in someone’s life makes her happy.  And that’s when I knew she’d be a great doctor. 

And I became a corporate junkie that keeps me travelling all over the world.  I also kept my love for photography and until recently became a very strong advocate of HIV and AIDS when I dear friend got diagnosed positive I became very passionate about spreading awareness, education and prevention with the spread of this disease.  I decided to be part of the change. But that’s a story for another blog.

Earlier I was watching Grey’s Anatomy and saw an episode that inspired me to write this blog.  It reminded me of how sometimes life gives us sh*t and what we forget we do what we do.  We are sometimes forced to things we don’t want but have to because that’s just the way it is.  We are reminded that there are battles we lose often but every once in a while we are given the rare privilege to witness the joy we bring to the lives we help change for the better.  And this joy we feel keeps us doing what we are doing.  It gives us the strength to continue the path we chose for ourselves.

As a doctor, Chuck helps save lives.  She gives her time, effort, dedication and knowledge to the people she treat.  She may not know it but when two of my other best friends, Babygurl TR and Angel left soon after college, I got lost. And she saved me. She became a mother, a wife but to me she will always be my sister, my bestfriend, my confidant, and my soulmate.  She is Natalie Casuela-Quesada.

Love letters and idealisms by Noel Abelardo