A CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIPS – PART 2 (FINAL)

岁寒知松柏,患难见真情。
(suìhán zhī sōngbăi, huànnàn jiàn zhēnqíng)
Only when the years grow cold do we see that the pine and cypress are the last to fade; only when we get into trouble do we know who our genuine friends are.

DIPG,
not only affects my bodily functions,
it also reveals true friendship.
It shows me who is still around,
who is left.
It exposes real and fake friendships.

Some say they care about my struggle,
yet they’re so silent in my journey.
Some ask me what’s DIPG,
not bothering to even google 
nor try to understand how I suffer.
Some advice me many things, 
medically and spiritually,
but never ask, never listen,
never read my stories.

My circle of friends gets smaller,
but my vision of friendship gets wider.
Those who stay friends:
Displayed love, loyalty, and emotional openness.

::: MY FRIENDSHIPS MATTER

黄金万两容易得,一个知心最难寻。
(huángjīn wàn liăng róngyì dé, yí gè zhīxīn zuì nán xún.)
Gold is easy to get, a close friend is harder to find.

I am truly blessed, 
joyful and thankful,
for your friendship:
The Huhu (Katinka and Lena) 
who spontaneously buy train tickets 
and ride for 3-6 hours from Köln and Berlin 
to visit me whenever we miss each other. 
I knew them in Beijing, only for a few months,
but our friendship continued to exist
and elevated to ‘more than words’ love;

The Radical Light (Wendy and Wenty) 
who are always being thoughtful since we were in the University.
Our friendship was growing separately by distance
but never growing apart;

The Prayer Group on Wechat, 
because of their faith and prayers therefore I am;

The Rempongs,
who’re supportive to one another, 
no backbiting, no negative thoughts, and help me stay young;

New friends in Germany and in Barcelona, 
Tobias’ friends who became my friends,
they make my life here a lot more fun;

And you,
by reading, liking and commenting my posts,
you make me happy 😊

::: SHARING GRACE

一个篱笆三个桩,一个好汉三个帮。
(yí gè líba sān gè zhuāng, yí gè hăohàn sān gè bāng.)
Just as a fence has to be built with pegs, an able person needs the help of three others.

I want to expose more to you,
my friendship with Kayan and Ashlee.
Because it’s very rare and unique.

We have our sets of rhythm and habits.
A devotion to meet,
to share and to listen, 
to invest and to pray.

We meet regularly online,
1-2 hours of video call.
We open out hearts 
and risk being vulnerable,
sharing stories that happen 
in our lives and others’ lives.

We help each other 
to see our blind spots. 
We speak with brutal honesty 
and tender compassion, 
telling the truth,
even though it may hurt.

We listen and learn.
Remaking our minds 
to live in the new life,
to put a new humanity.
We humble ourselves,
let the gospel seep into 
every nook and cranny of our lives.

We remind each other 
of our identity,
that God gave His life for us,
that we matter.
Bolstering our love for Christ,
and growing in grace.

We’re cheerleading for each other,
to act in love,
to be a witness to Christ,
to be salt and light,
to family, friends, workplace colleagues and community,
through our words and deeds.

We motivate each other 
to excel in our gifts,
me in writing,
Kayan in hospitality,
Ashlee in counseling.

This lifelong friendship
isn’t fleeting, isn’t flimsy,
isn’t a superficial inspiration. 
We’re just ordinary girls,
who bear each other’s burdens, 
preserve each other’s faith,
share joys,
and pray for us and for you.

::: TREASURE FRIENDSHIPS 

人生在世无朋友,犹如生活无太阳。
(rénshēng zài shì wú péngyou, yōu ru shēnghuó wú taìyáng)
A life without a friend is like a sky without a sun. 

Friendship is 
one of life’s greatest treasures.
Not only a social act,
but also a spiritual act.
Not only side-by-side,
but also face-to-face.
We instead of I.

Friendship is a two-way street. 
To have a friend, you must be a friend. 
I wish you, too have a blissful friendship.
Keep friendships vital and alive. 👬👫👭

Love,
Titien

“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬


::: UPDATE ABOUT ME 
1 Year 11 Months Post Biopsy
Midline Pontine Glioblastoma/DIPG Grade IV

Today I received the 7th round of avastin. 
My symptoms are fluctuating, but overall remain the same.
Weak right arm and mumbling speech.
Please go to http://titien.de/my-medical-history/ for more details. 

On weekend, I received a letter from the health insurance company
stated that they accept my claim to cover the costs for avastin.
I am truly happy and relieved.
Thanks for your prayers and good wishes ☺️😁👏

Tomorrow I will travel Vienna and Bratislava with Tobias for 10 days 🥰 
I will share pictures from there with you.

I keep growing in size! 
Last week my good friend Lena from Köln visited me.
Me: I bought this jeans last month, now it’s too tight!
Lena: Welcome to my world! That’s how I feel when I was pregnant with Ella.🤣🤪

So I changed shopping strategy.
I bought new stretchable dresses.
Expandable to fit as I rapidly grow 😎👌👗🐼

Thanks for keeping me in your prayers 🙏

PS: Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing my posts. 
Please subscribe to get more stories and updates on your email. 🤗

I went alone to train station to pick up Lena 
(From home to train station: 8 minutes walk + 6 minutes tram).
Quite proud of myself, since re-irradiation I wasn’t brave enough to go outside by myself. (Cos’ of balance and walking issue)
We met in Beijing in 2015 only for 2 months.  
Then be-best-friended.
We miss Chinese ‘street’ food 😁
Baozi
Jiaozi, jianbing, noodle 🍜
I 💗 ice cream
So does Yuna 🍦🍨 Like Tante like niece 🥰
Bought some dresses 👗 like this one.
This rubber chicken has failed to shoo pigeons away 🤯😡😫😩.
They ate all the grain in the bird house,
flipped the water bowl on the table,
found and empty the food bowl I put on the floor for little birds,
and poopoo on my balcony 😠
Can you spot 2 little fluffy balls on the olive tree?
That’s 2 young sparrows taking a nap.
Tomorrow we’re going to Austria for 10 days.
So I built a food house for little fluffy birds – finks and sparrows . Hopefully pigeons won’t ruin it! 🤓
Pigeons aren’t my friends! 😑

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *