meant for a lifetime

Love is best experienced after one has gone through heartaches. Like any individual in this universe, I've had my share of failed relationships. Even the idea of getting married, at a time, was burried in the deepest part of my soul. But every bit of it changed the moment Gino and I realized the friendship we had was meant for something deeper. Something blissful. Something for keeps. Something meant for a lifetime.

Gino and I were college classmates in UP Diliman. Classes would end without me even paying him back a smile. Not even a glance. After graduation, our roads met again in Claret School of QC where we were accepted as faculty members. He was a Grade 7 Math teacher, I was a Pre-School teacher. Gino and I were always in the parties, out-of-town trips and summer breaks. We shared our laughter. We shared our angsts. We shared our dreams. We shared our differences. The days spent together grew special each minute. It was strengthened and tested to the limits. The friendship became stronger. It got deeper. The 2 year-friendship eventually grew into love. From then on, labski was how we called each other.

It was a relationship filled with love, trust and respect. We've wept and we've giggled. We've fought and we've forgiven. A year and a half after, the proposal came. And the wedding was set, 070307, exactly on our third year as labskis.

What I'm looking forward to by July 3, 2007
is to start and end each day with the only woman
I chose to spend my life with.
A kiss to start the day right
and a hug to take away all my worries.
- Gino's text message,
6th of January 2007
14:26:44

Marriage is something you have to work at, you and your spouse. You have to love 3 things: each other, your children, your marriage. There may be times that you fight, and sometimes you won't even like each other. But those are the times you have to love your marriage. Look at your wedding photos. Look at any memories you've made. And if you believe in those memories, they will pull you back together. -excerpt from Mitch Albom's book entitled For One More Day.