mortality check

Lately, my friends come in 3 categories, dying, dead and dead-wannabe (read: suicidal).

Examine these:

My ex is having suicidal fits and seems serious abt it last week.
She's only 20.

The brother of my female friend was diagnosed with bone cancer and is at a level w/ no cure end of last week.
He is in his early 20's

The brother of a high school friend died of leukemia last Sat.
He was only 30.

Me in the middle, I come unprepared.
I'm not the sickly type. But I live a very stressful life.
And suddenly, I'm concerned abt my own mortality.

I recently attended the funeral of my highsch friend's brother.
And because she's so tired and wrought with emotions,
I offered to make her a eulogy for kuya alvin.

I never had a kuya, because we are all gurrls in the family.
So this is extra effort to me.
I only know kuya alvin from our high school days and some college days.
We're not that close, but close enough to be envious of my friend who has a brother.

kuya alvin in his early life of 30 got hit by acute leukemia.
Was healed last year around Sept, but had a remission this April.
From then on, it was a struggle to live.

**For a dear friend, angel and our kuya alvin (almost a brother to me)**


EULOGY FOR BANONG
-to be read by angel-

i wil share a private family info.
in the big arlegui clan,
i have always been tagged as the female version of kuya alvin.
need i articulate the obvious? hehehe.
just make a hard look at me and you'll know. hehehe.

if kuya alvin is fondly called 'Banong', then
it is just rightful that i am teased as 'Banang' :)
hehehe.

from that genetic semblance and the fact the we were born just a year apart ensued a long history of asaran, kantyawan, away-bati and whathaveyous!

he is your typical kuya.
mahilig mangantyaw ska magpaiyak.
mahilig manakot saka mag-utos! hehe.

but he is also my number one defender lalo sa mga guys
na tingin nya nde bagay sa kin.
or sa mga taong inaaway ako.

and because he is my kuya, he can be brutally honest and conservative abt certain stuffs i consult him with like an appropriate outfit.

unlike typical kuyas though or men in general,
kuya alvin can be the most malambing brother you'll ever have or even as a bf then and now husband.
Ate Auwie can attest to that. *wife of kuya alvin*

he is one funny guy, not so tall, but undeniably charming!
i think it goes with our genes. hehehe.

for me, it all boils down to that, genes. blood. family.

the blood that ties us as a family and the love that binds us together will never be wounded by any disease, not even by the one that hit kuya alvin.

kuya alvin, you continue to live in here (touchin the heart) and you will continually be loved by us, your family.

------------

post-eulogy:
angel, my friend said that she cried as she read the eulogy.
she related that this is exactly what she wanted to tell about her kuya alvin and of their family.
and that i really know her and her family to be able to write this apt eulogy.