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Today, for the first time since 2013, I met this old friend of mine at PIM. We got busy with our own problems and decided to meet up today and talked about many things. He is now married to a woman he used to tell me as his crush and we were really that caught up with our own worlds that I couldn't even attend his wedding. But what I love about true friends is that they remain friends with us no matter how long we don't meet or talk with each other.

So I met Alexis Pompink (an architect) and his wife Winny (an interior designer) today and chill at Starbucks Food Hall. Winny was doing her job at a table with her laptop while Pompink and I talked. We used to have this hours of talking and it was always the great, constructing, mindful talk as it was today. So we shared our lives for the past 1-2 years that we lost from each other.

To my surprise, Pompink told me he was kind of jealous at me. This is something new. I mean, look at him, already married at his own expense (which could be considered one of the indicators of being success here in Indonesia) and doing all his job under his own company's name, etc. While I am still single, still living at my Mom's house and do not have anything valuable whatsoever to be boasted about.

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But Pompink gave me a whole new perspective in life. He doesn't measure success by wealth but by achievements. And this achievement doesn't always in form of award-winning or any performance. He sees my achievement from the book I wrote, from the adventure and experiences I had (since Bali, and so on) and from what I have done for my family (spending more time, taking care of each of them). He counts my closeness to my young cousins and what I had done for them (which can't be seen to others) as something precious.

I was touched. Seriously. This was one of the best things people ever said to me--to see the unseen kindness and listen the unspoken words. I had never seen my dedication to my family as something to be proud of, but my now-married friend just reminds me of how valuable the family bond is. He sees it as something instead of nothing.

I guess my perspective on life is changed once again. And I'm thankful for having such a great friend as Pompink. And tho we don't stay in touch constantly, I know he's one of the best friends I can always count on. I'm so happy for this revelation and for meeting Pompink and his wife today. Thank God!
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