Eight Years Later

You, who have laughed with me (and sometimes at me; no hard feelings, really) with all my silliness and absurdity. You, who have allowed me to be what I am without any pretense and deception, Happy Anniversary!

And I imagine you saying something along the lines of “So, would you like to go out somewhere tonight?” And in my PG-rated dream, we were hugging, embracing, cuddling and snuggling.

Lest you notice, I’m becoming emotional these days and crave all that sort of human connection that only a hug can satisfy. I don’t exactly think of tearing up the dance floor or have a candlelit dinner, or go to a movie theater to celebrate our years together. In case you are not aware, I seemed to have lost for anything outdoor. May be we can just cook our favorite pasta dish and party with the kids at home.

And you will bring out your gift, a tiffany ring inside a tiny, red velvet box. And from somewhere came the sound of Jose Mari Chan’s I Have Fallen in Love With The Same Woman Three Times.

You know what? I am a wee bit jealous of your job right now. You are becoming too absorbed with it. I do apologize in advance if it came right over my head. But I can’t help thinking that there will always be younger, slimmer, sexier, prettier girls that will go around you. Those girls who can oh-so-casually walk up to any guy, look him straight in the eye, and ask him out. I hope you will not fall in to the trap. That though I cherish and adore you, I don’t think I can share you with any body to make the relationship thrive; and I’m not about to settle for anything less than a thriving relationship. No one should ever settle for anything less than that.

Your phone rings but you seemed not mindful of it. You look very happy, and proud with what become now of our married life together.

You have let me share a piece of myself with you, both as a woman and a friend, and for that, I am eternally grateful. This marriage has truly become a labor of love (translation: two cesarean cuts, one vertical, one horizontal. Just enough to remind of babies, and other hazards of sex).

I look forward to what the next eight years will bring. After all, this journey wouldn't be the same without you.

P.S.

My husband, a self-confessed computer nerd, will read this probably after so many years, so long a year I already forgot about the tiffany ring.

What's Your Story?

We all have a story, don't we, friends? This was one of the reasons why we turn to things where we get them: books, movies, comics, TV series, news reports and blogs. From the seemingly mundane activities of our neighbors to high-profiled personalities, it is our stories that make us who we are. It's our joys, our struggles, our laughter and our tears that bring those stories colorful and alive. It does not take rocket scientist to explain why we get so addicted to watching reality TV shows. We love seeing life stories as they happen.



Perhaps you know when your life will end, would you ask for a second one? And re-live everything like exactly how it was?

Or re-write the plot, get new group of actors and take a fresh start? Remove all sicknesses, failures, heart aches and losses and be a total success.

Looking back on your life, what are you proud of? What are you ashamed of? How does your own life square when it comes to materials blessings? relationship? career? I got a good news. God has given each one of us unique talents and abilities, so unique nothing can duplicate these. And he also gave us dreams He himself will fulfill. We don’t need to twist God’s arms to better our lives. If will you only see a little farther; you will know how great a story God written for you.

Pretty cool, right?

You see, you don't have to be afraid; this isn't a test you pass or fail. There's no right or wrong answer. There's no pressure to be better or smarter or prettier than anyone else.

So? what’s your story? I’d love to hear.

Merry November

Oh I love this time of the year. As usual, October just flew by and I am quite excited that Christmas is just around the corner. I think it’s the best time of the whole year. Suddenly the air gets colder and chillier, but just enough to leave you feeling fresh and clean in the first hours of the morning. This is what November should be: cold crisp mornings and clear, calm starlit night. And who wouldn’t get lost in sweet thought when you start to hear Christmas songs? Aren’t they reminiscent of your past Christmases?

By this time, people begin to plan for Christmas gifts. And shopping now was made easy by these ever growing shopping websites.

For bags, dresses, accessories and what ever you need, shop on line at ChuchayOnline and relieve yourself from the hustle and bustle of going to the malls.

For other assortment of things you like, visit Cucumber. Great finds await you with just one click.

And what is sweeter than having your gifts personalized? Go on line to ThingsRemembered and check their ribbons, calendars, note pads made customized for you.

So, tell me, friends, what are your give-aways this year? Here's wishing (as I metaphorically raise a tall glass of wine in the air) everyone an advanced Merry Christmas full of love, laughter, and of course, shopping!

Why I (Sometimes) Hate Facebook

Well, this one is about my current gripes about Facebook. Don’t you notice that it has now become a little bit annoying that some people use it as it is some form of therapy or something? Like they will die if they can’t update their statuses every five minutes. You see, not all people are interested with where have you been and what have you been doing. Not all the time, but I got pissed when someone post how stressed they are, how tired they are and how much work they need to get done. The fact that they found time to open their FB, plus play Farmville or whatever games is the new obsession on Facebook, plus post song after song from Youtube leads me to believe that 1. They are not really busy, and 2. They need professional help. Obviously, they only need attention. Lots of it.

I also can’t stand those who put pictures after pictures every single day. Let’s call them photo-addict. Seriously? does the world have to know that you like the interior of the bus so much you can’t resist taking your photos there? And more importantly, do all people care? As for myself, no. No I most certainly do not. These photo addicts eat much space of our wall, and therefore should not be tolerated. In a way, FB gets the best and worst of us. I have a friend who I know as one gentle speaking, squashy and conservative . But for the love of me, I saw him one time half-clothed on FB. Talking about suppression. Obviously, what they can’t do in the real world, they do it in the cyber world.

The next thing that annoys me is when people post something about their suicidal tendencies. But I thought, well, he was giggly and funny the last Sunday. But yes, he is still alive as of this writing. Say, if you are really feeling the way that you project yourself to be on Facebook, you really need to seek professional help. Facebook is not your therapist, ok? Seriously. And please getting your first tattoo is not everyone’s business.

And to go along with that, can you be more realistic and personal? I mean if it is your love ones’ birthday, wedding, anniversary, etc, Do yourself and your love ones a favor: get off of Facebook, go to him, write him a check or buy him a gift, and tell him how you love him that way, instead of sending all of your love via the Internet. Common, there’s a little chance that your 70-year old parent will read your greetings. By this time, he’ll probably just want to rock chair instead of commenting on your post.

But again, I understand when Zuckerberg tells that FB helps you connect and share with the people in your life. Yes it really is one good channel to link up with everyone in the world. Just hope that people will be sagacious with just about what they do, or say, on this popular social website.