Love is All Around Me

Following the stressful day I had yesterday I'd like to sit still for a moment and celebrate happy moments. It's the season of love! A few months ago my nephew, Gabby, got engaged. This was followed by my cousin, Precious, and now my niece Carissa just got engaged too! 

Ahhh, so much love around me! I shed some tears after watching the Carissa's engagement video. She obviously had no idea it was about to happen. I'm so happy for her and wish I could attend her wedding. I missed Gabby's engagement because I was napping! Arggggh. And Precious got engaged at the beach. 

The kids have really grown up. I used to watch Gabby when he was a baby when I got back from school. Chase after Carissa and Patricia when they were little. We did a lot of Christmas family trips in Indonesia when they were growing up. I remember when I was newly broken-heart Carissa told me, "It's okay Tita, you'll be okay." She was 12 years old and dispensed moving on strategies to me. I was so shocked I immediately got out of my hole. Hahaha. 

It's been years since we had everyone in the same place. Makes all the time we used to spend together more precious. What will probably happen is I'll see them again someday with little ones running around. But for now I'll just enjoy this warm, fuzzy feeling that love brings. 

It was also just fitting that yesterday my good doctor sent me some macarons! To be honest I'm not really fond of macarons (I prefer broas), but I'm always game to try new things. The macarons was made by his niece. I must say it's the best macarons I've tried! The sweetness level is perfect! If you're in Singapore and want to try it just order via the Macbites IG account. 

Don't forget, today is St. Jude's day 4 novena. 

CB////*Yr2/194 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/215 #NewG256 #Home12 #Xmas64 #StayHome #BeKind 

All We Need is Love

The world seems to have gone mad. The negativity seems to be constant. I wonder though if things were the same in the past and if the negativity is just amplified by the current platforms we are using. The world is much more connected now compared to the past. Information is just at the tip of our pointy finger (that's what I use on my phone). Are the amount of bad things happening today the same as before or much more? (The nerd in me wants to try to quantify it, I just don't have time to do research).

The Beatles song "All You Need is Love" sums up what I think we should all be reminded about.

"Love, love, love 

Love, love, love 

Love, love, love 

There's nothing you can do that can't be done 

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung 

Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game 

It's easy Nothing you can make that can't be made 

No one you can save that can't be saved 

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time 

It's easy 

 All you need is love 

All you need is love 

All you need is love, love 

Love is all you need"

I remember when I was a kid I gifted my Mom with a tiny signage that read, "Do all things with great love." She placed it in the bathroom and it was a constant reminder for me to be mindful about my actions. I have retreated a lot of my public online activities especially on social media because it's been causing me a lot of stress (my number 1 enemy). I wonder how we humans can just show more love to each other... I think if we did we'd be able to lessen all the anger that's going around and hopefully the world will be a better place. 

Love

Home sweet home.

Courtship 2.0

Being the youngest in our clan has given me the privilege to be exposed to relatives of all ages. I have nephews and nieces who are older than me, so technically I'm already a grand-aunt of sorts. I think I was in third grade when I was reeled in to help in wedding preparations of an aunt and a cousin. Eventually my sister, then my brother. During those times my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins would tell me love stories.

In the olden times (like 1950s). This was the time that guys would make harana to girls and according to my Mom it's true that sometimes strict mothers (or naughty brothers) would throw out the contents of the urinola (euww!). And during that time during dances guys would instruct their friends to surround their girl so no one else can approach her (being territorial huh!). With no telephone or gadgets, the best way to reach a girl was to send her love letters.

In the 80s. My Mom told me back then that when my time comes I should be courted properly, with a guy going to the house with flowers etc. and if ever we go out there should be a chaperone. I did play chaperone to my sister a couple of times (we're 16 years apart) and I often enjoyed the gifts her manliligaws would give me. They'd come to the house to pick up my sister and I'd usually be the first to say hi to them. Of course, they had to have pasalubong for the pesky little sister.

My worst nemesis then was my future-brother-in-law who forgot to bring me some cotton candy. I was so disappointed and cried when he arrived empty-handed. He came back a week after with two huge cotton candies for me. Oh I do remember my sister making telebabad in the wee hours of the night hehehe. My sister says she has a box full of love letters from my brother in law.

In the 90s. So things were a bit different in the 90s. Technology started to drastically change how we communicated. This was the time that the beeper was the in thing and in the mid-90s cellphones started to be popular. I remember when I joined Smart they had just marked their 500,000th subscriber. A lot of people though still burned lines at midnight and wrote letters.

The new century. The last decade has drastically changed the landscape of how we communicate, much less the rules of courtship. My Mom just shakes her head with how we "youngsters" communicate. Relationships are born out of SMSing, chatting, Friendster, Multiply, Facebook and other social media stuff. My friend in Pakistan told me that Orkut (Google's social media platform) really changed how men and women would meet in his country.

And based on feedback from my nephews, this is how one can find out if you're already "together"...

"Should I changed my Facebook status now?"

First Love

Do you remember your first love?

I would assume that a lot of us go through several relationships first before we find the right one, after all we usually get our bit of first love as teenagers and due to immaturity, stupidity and what-not it just doesn't always work-out. Fear not since it just usually gets better and when it comes at the right time things will just fall into place.

My Mom married her first boyfriend, my Dad and they would usually rib each other about being together for the longest time. Earlier today my Mom was saying, "I don't want a grand celebration for our golden wedding anniversary." (It's going to be next year). 

My Dad answered, "Well we won't, we don't have money to spend anyway." (Siyempre that's our job na). 

And then my Mom told me, "You mean I have to marry the same person?" 

Then Dad quipped, "Yeah, our contract is only for 50 years since that's the prescriptive period for marriage contracts." (He is of course just kidding and making things up. I definitely don't remember any prescriptive period for marriage in the Family Code.)

Yes, my parents are still very much crazy in love with each other and it drives me nuts when they are in that mood. And I guess despite all the upheavals in my love life in the past I never gave up on love. Baduy man, but when you find that person you can giggle with over some insane, mababaw jokes you just know you are on the right track.

And this post was inspired by the McDonald's TVC "First Love" which I plurked about over a week ago. 

Sunset for a Sunrise

Endings
have to be done
to make beginnings

You have to say goodbye
to welcome a hello

Bid farewell
to move to a new path

And the sun sets
for another sunrise.