10 years...

I bought a hallmark card in Manila last January. And I am giving it to him today.

It says

"The earth turns.

The sun rises and sets.

We're still in love.

All is right in the world.

Happy anniversary."


There are many things I wanted to say. But imbetween shopping for the right dinner dress and getting my hair done, my heart only managed to type in the following, (Printed on an A4, cut down to the size of the card).

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We normally do not treat this day as special as our church wedding.

But now I do.

I still remember the same night, ten years ago, when someone called upon me as Mrs. Reyes, three times before I even acknowledged. I didn't "get it" straight away!!! Haha! Forgot that it's not just a paper we needed to submit to the embassy that time. It was (in Luis' favourite expression) "for real life". Truth behold, we legally started as husband and wife on this day.

It never dawned on me what this legal status entails. All I had was a vision of a happy ending. Why, who would have thought, after all the bickering we had in our younger years, after being apart for more than half a year, it would still be us? We both had that faith in us - a FAITH that in these ten years was shaken a few times.

I remember when we went to Europe; when a tour mate, an old American widow commended us on how we two looked so good together. But I choked in silence and made me ponder on her last statement, "I miss my husband... Getting married is easy, staying married is not". If she told me this ten years ago, I would not have understood.

But now I do.

Life is good and through the highs and lows I am thankful that I now understand! With the experiences I had along the way, I can proudly say that I now have in me, what was ideal to have had ten years ago - a RIGHT MIND and a RIGHT HEART in keeping a marriage alive. God is good!

I know you've thanked me enough in the past for being stronger when you couldn't take the lead, for having the patience when you were too weary, and for having the tenacity when things got a bit uncertain. But really in those moments, I have you to thank for! Because you've let me, who was once a young girl who bravely travelled a thousand miles to be with you, shine so brightly in the darkest room where love was almost impossible. You gave me the chance to love you back the way you love me. With you I learned the true meaning of LOVE and I will be forever grateful!

I decided a long time ago that I will love you for the rest of my life and yours. Today, with much happiness I want you to know that I still honour that commitment - forever and always! That even when parts of us make another cringe or fume, I promise not to attack or cocoon in resentment. God has joined us to be together in marriage. And believing this is knowing that all is right in the world. That He'll always guide us right where we're supposed to be - ready to fall in love all over again!

Happy 10th anniversary Babes! And I look forward to making our dreams come true and creating more beautiful memories for our family… together!!! I LOVE YOU!!!