Four decades and two years ago..

Each couple has their own tale to tell. For my parents, considering the times they were in (the 60s) and their backgrounds and upbringings, it was almost unlikely that they would even have a story today. My father, Manolo, was from the province while my mother, Marissa, was a city girl. He was poor; she came from an upper middle-class (some would even say rich) family. Their families, oddly enough, knew each other. Papa wanted to go to law school in Manila, so he traveled to the city and was given lodgings at my maternal grandparents’ house. He paid his dues by helping out around the house - cleaning, cooking and whatever else that needed to be done...

He'd had 30 girlfriends already before they met; she had yet to have a boyfriend. Needless to say, he stopped looking when he met her. She was his 31^st and last, as he still fondly says when he recounts that story; he was her first. As expected, Lola Claudia and Lolo Luis ("lola" and "lolo" mean grandmother and grandfather in Tagalog) disapproved of the relationship. As with all their children, they wanted Mama to marry into a family of equal or higher standing. So what did my parents do? They eloped. They got married twice, in fact. First in a civil ceremony and a couple of months later in a small and simple church wedding on this very day, 42 years ago. And thus began a journey of a lifetime…

Mama and Papa, Happy 42^nd Wedding Anniversary and more to come! I’m glad (and I’m sure my siblings feel the same way) that God made your different worlds meet. Thank you for your love, caring and generosity. I love you!