Sino daw si Claude...

I get asked that fairly often by people who view my profile.

Sino nga ba si Claude? High school classmate. Siga in a skirt. Scared the bejeezus out of me. Beautiful person. Inside and out. Fought with cancer. Her radiant spirit won. She went on to other realms earlier this year.

And she continues to be among my teachers.

She teaches me that pain and anger fade in the presence of joy and laughter. And she reminds me not to lose sight of the larger picture, be it the one inside or outside.

And to this day, she is proof that love is possible despite distance.