Changing Lives

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give to you forever. --- Noah, The Notebook

Wow.

Ok, forgive me for getting all mushy and corny. I just finished watching The Notebook (yet again!) a week after my good friend, Giselle, got married to her very own chinky-eyed teddy bear. There’s nothing like seeing two people clearly in love & happy with each other.

It always gets me teary-eyed whenever I witness the Great Handover. You know, that moment when the parents of the bride turn over their daughter to the man she will marry. It says so many things, don't you think? Those last few steps towards the altar with parents of the bride on either side of her... that last hug they give their daughter before she turns her back and takes that first step towards a life of her own... that look they give their "new son" that says everything (here is our baby, we are giving her to you, take care of her)... and then... that instant when the bride and the groom's eyes finally meet as if for the very first time.

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Everyone got all dressed for this special occassion. I was part of the entourage, so I had clearly no choice! But gosh, most of the boys looked half-decent in their barongs (Vyke, ever stylish in black!) and the girls with their pretty dresses and stylish hair & make up. Even Liz-- oh horrors-- was in a dress, pearls and had make-up on! Whoohoo! (photo taken from Liz's cam)

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Funny how things are changing… friends moving out of the country, moving up corporate ladders, pursuing life-long dreams, getting engaged, getting married, having kids… Oh, how we sometimes catch ourselves pretending that we know what’s coming when most of the time, we actually… just wing it.

Someone wise once said that when you get better, the game only gets bigger. It’s in human nature to push ourselves everyday to seek new challenges. It will always be about looking forward and taking “the next step”. We know we will be less spoiled when we leave Manila for “a better life” in another country. We know the risks involved when you leave everything behind to pursue THAT dream. We know having more influence and responsibility at work means bigger headaches and longer hours. We know having kids will be expensive. We know the hardships and nerve-wracking challenges of married life.

But we dive in anyway. Why do we do that? Are we just being masochistic? Are we in denial? Or simply because --- we go back to the premise of these questions --- we are human. You dare not let yourself live without welcoming these challenges, risks, heartaches, and pains. Because without these hardships, there is no fulfillment, no bigger dream, no joy, no love, no life.

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cheers! seeing the Maras today, having a noisy lunch and a restful afternoon
it's ok... if things are not smooth-sailing. It's just a bump and it will pass.
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