Here is a proud testimony of how a network of friends can make the difference.  Nelson Ceña sent this email which inspires us to keep doing what we are doing...to create a circle of friends that will define interdependence.

   I was elated to hear from Ronnel Samsonwho was one of my best friends in our elementary days in Lakan-Dula.  Like many of us, we got linked back to Ronnel by AlumniNet.  Let's read on to find out what's new with our well-accomplished Engineer. Welcome aboard, Ronnel!!!

  This section will demonstrate to us the buddy system in our batch.  It is people helping people.  Do you need to find a buddy?  Send your "Buddy to Buddy" request to your geographic contacts.

   Please change or add the following email addresses in your list.  Also notify us if your email address changed.  If you know the email address of other batchmates who has not contacted us yet, please let us know and we will contact them.

Left to right:  Olive Griarte, Josie Gonzales (Perlie's cousin), Uncle Alex, Perlie Gonzales, Dolly Dela Cruz

Thanks for the picture Perlie!

     Bo Sanches shares the seven powerful lessons she learned on simple living ... A TREASURE MAP OF HAPPINESS.

Thanks a lot Fr. Erick for sharing this one.

-----Original Message----- From: Nelson Ceña [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 3:41 AM To: VAL BUZON (E-mail) Cc: CHING ALBORNOZ (E-mail); ERIC SANTOS (E-mail); PERLIE GONZALES (E-mail); LEX & TESS PARADO (E-mail); BENG & MANDY EVANGELISTA (E-mail); RIZ & DANA BAUTISTA (E-mail); VARINIA ASUNCION (E-mail)

I just would like to share with you guys the beauty of staying in touch and having friends you can always count on.

Two weeks ago, my only daughter, Kimberly, had chicken pox (bulutong tubig). She had fever and felt so uneasy, itchy.  I have always wanted to switch to another Pediatrician who could show more concern for her patients. I find our present Pedia so cold, parang robot - pag nag-injection sa mga bata, she does it so abruptly, and doesn't even exert effort to "pacify" the kid. In short, walang rapport, aside from the fact na palaging nagmamadali and I find her sked really difficult to fit into ours.

Suddenly, I thought of Ching, looked for the small phonebook that I had when we met for the reunion at Fr. Eric's place but couldn't find it!  Luckily, I had Fr. Eric's cellphone # so I immediately texted him asking for Ching's no. The good Father txtd. back right away "I lost my phonebook in Brussels (if I remember it right). I'm waiting for friends to txt me back w/ the no." After approx. 2 mins., came another text from him, giving me all the number I needed - home no., clinic no. and cell no.!!! After another 2 mins., my cellphone rang - it was PEARLIE confirming if I rec'd Ching's no. Another minute passed and came another text from MALOU (I think - because her  no. wasn't listed in mmy cell) giving out the same info...

GRABEEE!!! MANNA FROM HEAVEN. Sabi ko sa mga officemates ko  ---  "MERON BA KAYONG GANYANG NETWORK OF FRIENDS??""  MERON BA KAYONG GANYANG KAGAGALING NA LIFELINES!!!!

Sarap ng feeling talaga!

To make the long story short, that very same night, we went to Ching's home and our daughter lives happily ever after. Thanks very much Doc. And also special thanks to Fr. And Pearl.

I felt so proud to belong to this batch of caring, genuinely concerned species!!

NELSON T. CEÑA

Newly-Found Buddy
Ronnel Samson

Ralph, Ruby & Ronnel

    "Do you still remember me?  It's nice to see you at the Alumni.Net.  How's life there in Canada?  I heard that a lot of our batch mates are there in Canada. I also e-mailed Rey Bisda when I also found him thru this facility.  Keep in touch, friend..."

-----Original Message-----
From: Ronnel S Samson [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 10:52 PM
To: Buzon, Valentino 
Subject: Me, again...

Hello Val,

It's so nice to hear from you too.  I visited the Kaeskwela site and was so glad to see again the old friends from THS. Whoever initiated this, congratulations...

Well, to talk more about me... Pare, "life begins at 40" na ako last January 12. I am married to Ruby Nava, a Certifified Public Accountant who works at International Bank here in Makati as Branch Service Head.  I used to work at Philamlife Insurance Company for nine years (1986-1995) as Property Planning/Management Officer.  I finished my BS in Civil Engineering degree at Pamanatasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in 1983 and got licensed as Civil Engineer the following year. I got employed with a Construction Management Firm prior to my employment at Philamlife for three years.  After Philamlife, I joined Robinsons Land Corporation as Technical Planning Manager (1995-1996).  From 1996 to mid-1998, I was hired as Operations & Engineering Manager of Eagleridge Development Corporation.  Since mid-1998, I decided to form my own Construction Management Firm, RSSamson Management Exponent (RSSME) and then mid-last year, an architect-friend joined me and we formed a partnership, CS Design (CSD).  CSD does architectural and enginering design works while RSSME does construction and engineering management works. 

My wife and I are blessed with only one child, Ralph Jonathan who is now 13 and now on his 1st-year high school study at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati. 

Pare, para akong gumawa ng "resume" ko ha... Anyway, I am looking forward to the Grand Reunion you are organizing.  That's a great idea... Attached is my latest picture with my wife and my son...

'Til our next e-mail. God Bless...

Ronnel

Happiness is not found outside of you. It doesn't come from  cars, clothes, cash, or Caribbean cruises. Happiness is found within. But how can you find it if you don't have the simplicity of time and space to discover the most important things in your life? How can you search the depths  of your soul if you are too busy impressing others, acquiring wealth, protecting your properties, and paying your debts?

Simplicity is not about the external either: living in a doghouse, eating in a Hepatitis joints, wearing rags. Let me define what it is: Simplicity is living from the core of your being.

A TREASURE MAP OF HAPPINESS

Simplicity will point to you where and what and who the gold is  in your life. Let me share with you the seven powerful lessons I've learned on simple living:

          > >LIVE ON LESS, AND DELIGHT IN THEM MORE

Some take their pleasure dining in classy restaurants, trips  to Europe, and owning the latest home theatre-equipment. I've chosen the  simple path: If I can simply be with my wife, or take a quiet stroll under a canopy of stars, or play with a child, or read a good book in my home, or laugh with friends over a pizza, I consider myself richly blessed.

Focus on what you have and not on what you don't have.

          > >STOP RUNNING AND WALK INSTEAD

Here's the truth: The person who has covered the greatest distance does NOT win, but the one who has most enjoyed the journey does. Stop running around chasing your own tail! Get off your hurried pace and learn to breathe. Replace doing with being. Learn to say no to invitations, appointments, and commitments, activities and events that will rob you of your  focus. Learn to say "yes "to rest, to tranquillity, to quietness.

          > >YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR WEALTH

I own very few things today. Because I am more than the brand  of my watch, the logo of my shoes, the name of my car. I believe that if in my soul I deeply respect and value myself, people around me will sense that, and  they too, will value and respect me-whether I'm wearing Armani or not.

You are more than your wealth.

          > >AVOID BUYING ON CREDIT

I don't believe in borrowing from credit cards. (For convenience, I use one card but I pay the whole amount at the end of each month.) If I need something really bad, I save up for it.  Sometimes, at  midpoint, I realize I don't really need the darn thing and give up the whole idea. The only exception I feel we should enter into a credit is when buying a non-depreciating item, such as housing or land.

I believe we should always live within our earning capacity.  Proverbs 22:7 says, "Those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders."

          > >GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

If I content myself with P250 shirt instead of P4,000 Lacoste, I can help others more. Trust me, there is immense pleasure! You will  find that the empty thrill of owning a diamond ring on your finger pales in comparison to the joy of handling a piece of bread to an orphan child.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in  all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every  good work." (2Corinthians 9:8)

          > >SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

Saving is essential to being good stewards of the money that  God "lends" to us. Saving is an important way of providing for our future-both  for our needs and to be generous to others. I recommend that you save at least  10% of your income. I can almost hear you now: "Bo, that's impossible!" Oh yeah?  Well, how did you live three years back when your salary was one-half its  present amount?

 Sacrifice. Many of our needs are actually wants. Is cable TV a  need? Will you suddenly die if you can't watch CNN or HBO? Are those new golf clubs essential to your existence?

Invest in time deposits, long-term stocks and housing.

          > >BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET

Make a list of all your monthly expenses, according to categories. Make also a list of irregular expenses-those that don't come  monthly. Set up another savings account for these expenses and put in a little money each month. To differentiate this from the savings account, we call ours freedom account" because it frees us from worrying about them when they suddenly attack.

And stick to your budget!

          > >ONE LAST WORD BEFORE WE CLOSE

Balance. Don't take living simply to the extremes! Living  simply doesn't mean living in deprivation.

There are special days when my wife and I eat in a fancy restaurant. Or when we splurge into a vacation. Very rare, yes, but my point is that you take living simply NOT as a rigid goal-but as a happy process towards  the goals of generosity, inner peace and holiness.