Break You Make - A Tribute to my friend Monette

This month Chobani Flips is celebrating #BreakYouMake as a reminder to all of us that we need to take some time off from our daily grind. As the expression goes, let's relax and smell the roses. While this may seem counter-productive to some, truth be told, taking a break no matter how short is so important to our well-being as it gives us time to pause, reflect and truly enjoy life.

I know someone who deserves a really good break and she is my dear friend Monette. You see my husband and I are both very far away geographically from our immediate families. Mine are all in the Philippines while his are all in England. So the only "family" we have here are our two kids and some very dear friends like Monette and her family.

Personally, it would have been very difficult for me to live so far away from my relatives and the Philippines had it not been for Monette. She introduced me to other Filipinas who lived in the same town  like we did. They became my best friends and to this day even though I am no longer near them, as we have recently moved to Connecticut from Michigan, I still continue to keep in touch with them. I miss them dearly. Here's our group on one of our summer picnics. I am the one in yellow and Monette is in the middle.

Monette is such a wonderful organizer and planner and truly one of the most thoughtful and kind person I know. She never forgets anyone's birthday and makes sure that we celebrate when that special day comes. When I turned 40 (Yikes! I am old!!!) she made sure that our friends came for my birthday breakfast which she coordinated and organized. Below is the celebration we had of my birthday.

Apart from being such a loyal friend Monette is also one truly dependable person. I remember last year when we were preparing for our big move to Connecticut, she helped me organize and pack our stuff up to the last minute. She helped me pack for several days together with her equally kind and thoughtful sister-in-law Rebecca. As if that was not enough, during the day of the move she also prepared a wonderful lunch for us for she knew I wouldn't have had the time to prepare for a meal. Below is a photo of Monette with her husband, son and Rebecca.

That is classic Monette, always ready and able to lend a hand when a friend is in need. And not only that, she is one of the most talented cooks I have ever known. Our group has always been the happy beneficiary of her culinary expertise. I always looked forward to our parties back when we were in Michigan for I knew that Monette would bring something delicious and special and she always had. She had been very kind to teach me some of her secrets in the kitchen including some of her well-loved recipes. She is a very caring person, indeed.

More than being a wonderful friend that I am grateful to have, Monette is also a great mother to Samuel and a supportive wife to Paul. I miss this dear family as we are not near to them anymore but despite the distance our friendship remains and I will always remember their kindness and love.

Hence for me my dear friend Monette rightfully deserves a break. She deserves the honor that this post bestows and though I may not have been fully able to return her kindness, I hope that this humble post will serve to show my gratitude for her priceless friendship.

#BreakYouMake #ChobaniFlips