Love Conquers All

This is a re-post from my old old.

Jiro* was one of my closest friends in high school. He was kind, and sweet, and thoughtful and very understanding for a friend. He was of average intelligence and though not exceptionally good looking was very neat and orderly that he is pleasant enough to look at. I can still remember how he escorted me in school activities and did things only a true friend will do. When we graduated from high school, I was so happy that I didn't notice how dismal he looked. I learned later that his mother entered him in the SEMINARY. I couldn't understand why instead of feeling happy about that, I felt kind of.. I don't know, sad maybe.

In the next years to come, I regularly see him not only when I attended masses but also when he took some time to visit me in our house just like the old days. For some reasons unknown to me, he knew I didn't like his being in the seminary. We never talked about it. It's as if it was enough that he knew. Until one day, he asked me the question I'd been trying to avoid all those years.Why didn't I like his being in the seminary? My answer was simple enough for me, because there are already plenty of good priests but few good husbands and fathers, and that though I will be happy if he becomes a priest, I will be happier to meet the lucky girl he would marry someday. He just nodded and smiled.

After 5 years, though I wasn't supposed to be surprised, I still was, to find out that he already did marry. He left the seminary against his mother's wishes and married the woman he loved whom he met about 5 years ago, which incidentally was the time he asked me his question. I was happy for him. We talked over the cell phone with plans of setting a date for his family and mine. It never did take place though, because he'd been busy with his printing business and I, with my work. But I didn't know that it NEVER WILL take place, because after 3 years, I received a very sad news. His young wife died of heart attack. We were only 28 at the time..

Just like a good friend, I offered my condolences and tried to console him. But it seems as if he didn't need it. He was strong and brave and hopeful despite what happened. But looking at the pictures of his 2 beautiful kids, I understood where he got his strength, and courage and hope..

Love conquers all. And only love can conquer love..