Jade: HS 1987
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2
CELEBRATING JADES
A S S U M P T I O N C O L L E G E C L A S S O F 1 9 8 7
WR I T TE N BY
MA RGIE A . D UA VI T & L A L A C . D Y
Have you ever wondered why every 5 years, there seems to be a more pronounced longing to meet up with old high school friends? For Assumption girls like us who have gone through their Silver year, this built-in Velada clock alarms every 5 years, calling us to come together again as a batch.
This year, we, the AC Class of 1987 celebrate our Jade year. Thirty five years out of high school, like this typically green tough gemstone, we continue to thrive amidst a global pandemic, navigating our way through a looming economic crisis, and facing the challenges of middle life transitions. While Jade is believed to be a symbol of good fortune, success and health, in Chinese culture, it also embodies the virtues of courage, wisdom, modesty and compassion.
Fittingly, we started our Jade journey as a batch, looking at what we wanted to celebrate this year. First and foremost, we are thankful we are alive. We celebrate LIFE. These last two years in particular, have been extremely difficult. Lockdowns, deep personal grieving over the loss of family and dear friends, recalibrating priorities, finding creative ways to keep our businesses afloat – we’ve gone through major struggles we thought we would not have survived, and yet we did.
Second, we celebrate our FAITH. Our batch motto “Pananampalataya” suitably takes centerstage. There is no way we could have drawn strength from within in these past years, if not through our faith in a God who loves us tenderly, and carries us through all of life’s uncertainties. As one of our classmates shared her journey as a kidney transplant survivor, she found consolation in this verse from Matthew, “If you say to this mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the sea, even that will happen. You will receive all that you pray for, provided you have Faith.”
When we asked ourselves the question how our Faith has come alive in the past 5 years, many answered that it was through the rough patches that we learned to “believe, pray, surrender, daily.” “Difficult becomes beautiful when we see things in God’s eyes.” Even our Mother Foundress, St Marie Eugenie, affirms us with her words “…to rise above all the troubles of life, standing always in the order of Faith. “
Lastly, we celebrate FRIENDSHIPS. As we rallied our classmates out of their safe zones and homes, to join dance practices face to face, we saw each one joining because that high school sisterhood bond had a calling. Slowly growing in number, we rekindle old friendships and build new ones, made deeper by our bi-weekly opportunities to be with and rediscover each other. Even across the miles, thanks to technology, we were able to finally include our AC87 Jade sisters around the globe to dance with us. Bonds formed were so tight, ‘sepanx’ was real when videos were completed.
There is indeed much to celebrate! We come together as one. Grateful for the gift of LIFE. Grateful for our FAITH. Grateful for our lifelong FRIENDSHIPS. All Hail to our beloved Assumption! Even after 35 years, we are still Faith Fully AC!
