Sharing: My daughter’s letter to the man she will love someday

I got this from a friend's note in Facebook. I wanna secure a copy and it's really worth sharing so I'm putting it here. Read on and rave :)

My daughter’s letter to the man she will love someday

By Cathy Babao-Guballa

Philippine Daily Inquirer

DateFirst Posted 22:05:00 08/08/2010

RELATIONSHIPS ARE always a difficult terrain to navigate.

As a woman, you spend hours pondering—alone or with your girl friends—the intricacies of the human heart. You always hope and pray that the next generation will get it better than you did.

Below is a letter I found in my daughter’s website (I have her permission to share this). She wrote it to “the man I will someday love.”

I was expecting to read a gushing, romantic, idealistic tome. I was humbled instead by her sentiments. It’s filled with sensible expectations.

I pray that this will make every girl believe that hope does spring eternal, and even if your heart has been broken a few times, you can always put the pieces back together, and make it right the next time around.

Take your time. Don’t rush and don’t just “settle.” If it’s part of His plan, God’s best awaits you out there.

Letter

Dear You,

I will admit that sometimes I really do wonder if you exist.

There is a part of every little girl’s heart that envisions her prince charming. At age three, it is usually of a man who can save her from the wrath of an evil stepmother, wake her from eternal slumber or give her that true love’s kiss.

In elementary school, he becomes the boy with the least cooties, the one who’s willing to cross the playground to share his Oreos even if it makes him a target for the week of all the other boys.

Come high school, it’s that boy you stand with at prom, who your father stared down at the door, who provided you with an experience complete with photos you will cringe at a decade later, a corsage that yellows in the refrigerator, and a faded memory of a night that seemed almost too magical to be real.

Nineteen years into this life, however, and still unwilling to give my heart away, I am still that same little girl who hopes for her prince charming. And although I wonder why it has taken you this long to sweep me off my feet and whisk me off to your palace on horseback, I know that it is probably because meeting you will be better than any fairytale I could’ve read as a kid.

A couple of heartbreaks and a few years wiser though, I will admit that there are times when I question your existence. Because I have yet to meet the guy who makes me hear songs like “All My Life” or “A Whole New World” in my head when I see him does not mean I don’t hope that it’ll ever happen.

I may already know you or may still meet you someday—something I leave completely up to God because I’m pretty sure our story will be epic.

However, I can’t promise you that I’d make the world’s most perfect princess. In fact I’ll probably keep you on your toes and amuse you with my eccentricities—there are a lot of them. I’ll probably steal a bunch of your T-shirts and turn them into shirt dresses, or drive you slightly mad with my obsessive compulsivity and my need to fix your collar constantly.

I can promise to be your best friend however—that person you can rant to after a rough day, the hand you can hold when you get sad, or the person you can text when situations get awkward.

I’ll probably mess up your hair sometimes and hug you for too long, but that’ll only be because I absolutely adore you. I’ll bury my head in your shoulder during scary movies and make you feel like superman when you kill those flying cockroaches that really shouldn’t exist. I’ll cook your favorite food on your birthday and try my best to make friends with your mom.

I’ll respect your nights-out with the boys and make you seem like the perfect guy to my barkada. I’ll watch basketball or soccer games with you, and not complain when you cheer too loudly at the TV set.

I’ll know the difference between giving you space and being constantly there for you—even if it means sitting and playing video games with you or taking hot chocolate runs when it rains.

I’ll listen to your music and we’ll go on epic adventures together—seeing the world, taking awesome pictures, eating awesome food, and never running out of things to tell each other along the way.

I won’t be waiting for you to sweep me off my feet and take me on a magic carpet ride, because I know I won’t need anything like that to fall for you—I will love you for you.

You will be that someone to make goofy faces with in pictures, to lace fingers with when I’m lonely, and to take long walks under the stars with on the beach.

You’ll be the guy who takes me the way I am—and will laugh as I burst into Disney song or pick out pink wallpaper.

You’ll be that someone I envision a future with—us filling out visa forms as we travel the universe, picking out our first dog together and arguing about what to name it, or being snap-happy stage parents in our preschooler’s annual mini-plays. And I keep hoping that maybe someday when we find each other, you will become that someone whose smile I wake up to in the morning and the last one I speak to every night.

So to the man I know does exist, and who will help me maybe make sense of the world someday, this man I can’t wait to love. Please know that I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. But for now, I wait. Fingers crossed and palms held together, I hope that you’re out there somewhere, waiting for me, too.

With the hope I will be yours for always,

Me

I Love Being Tardy

Oh, don't get me wrong. I know my title isn't so positive but please let me explain.

I tried so hard to be early to work today because Jhay's been bugging me to keep up with his work hours so that we'd get home at the same time. And this morning I badged in at 8:50. I sort of succeeded because I normally get in at 11am. But what the hell, I'm not sure if I wanna do it again.

Everytime I get here early, I tend to be in a bad mood. Do you have any idea how it is to commute to Makati during the 7am-9am period? Man, it's crazy! Those freaking conductors always get into my nerves! They keep letting people inside the bus even if it's all cramped up already. And knowing how big I am and how hard it'll be for me to get out, making me move farther from the door from time to time just isn't funny. And for crying out loud, I'm getting off after 5 blocks!

That's exactly the reason why I love my tardiness. Leaving home around 10am makes commuting a breeze. I love how laid-back people are this time of the day. I get to the office without much hassle and I am in the right mood to start my day.

But just to make myself a little perked up, I am going home at 5:50! :) And honey's gonna fetch me! And there's a little celebration at home because it's my inaanak Kurt's birthday!

Now get those test scripts done, Em.

A Little Distraction

Can I just kick Mondays off the calendar? Hahahaha.

The work week has just begun but something upsetting already happened in the office. And I most certainly don't wanna talk about it here. I just figured I need to do something that will hopefully divert my attention. It was really a good idea putting up this blog. Truly an avenue for self-expression :-)

Going back to looking for a distraction. The moment I woke up, I checked my entry in the Toblerone Epic Friend Promo in Facebook and it already has 300 likes! :-) But of course it couldn't have been possible if not of the help of my two very supportive sisters who spent their weekend popping messages to almost all of their online friends. Actually, half of the votes are because of their efforts. So here's a million thanks to you sissies.

 Choy and Faye. Who's prettier? You be the judge.

Or you can just say it's me. LOL

Joining that promo was a fun experience. I was able to reconnect with old friends, elementary classmates even, just because I was asking them to like my entry. I didn't know that a little chat could make me feel good. Wonderin' why? Here are a few reasons:

* There was one guy from high school (I am one year his senior) who I chatted with longer than everyone else. We talked about a lot of things - my work, him being in law school, college life, dreams that were left behind, and hopes of fulfilling them. And just when I thought those are enough to make the conversation memorable, he said something that really really moved me: "Isa ka sa mga tinitingala kong tao sa MCS" (MCS is Malate Catholic School) Yes. I remember it word for word. My gosh, I didn't know, or maybe I already have forgotten, that I was that person in high school. It was a humbling experience, but at the same time, it made me proud. Thanks G!

* There were a couple of classmates who still calls me "Leader" and still believes that Group 3 is the best. Hahaha. It's because being the class secretary for 4 years also meant being the leader of Group 3 / "Wednesday Cleaners" (Monday is the President's group, Tuesday the VP's, and so on). Aaaah, high school memories.

* There were people who I never really got close with but took the effort to like my entry. There were even some who voted even if they're in the middle of a talk or a class. :-)

* I played matchmaker by introducing Noreen to a high school friend who asked if I have single girl friends. Hahaha. I hope they go on a date soon ;-)

* I made Ate Pants cry because of the story in the entry.

* It made one of her friends cry too. Not that I enjoy the idea but it's just heart-warming to know that.

You see, those are just 5 but I could go on and on if only I have a lot of time. I guess it's true that in life, it isn't all about winning. With the above reasons, I'll still feel like a winner even if Toblerone Pilipinas doesn't pick me. But of course getting free chocolates and spa session won't hurt. *wink*

The "Year"-book Encounter

Living up to it's name, it took a year and 4 months after college graduation.

Yeah baby, I finally got hold of my yearbook! :D

Padayon is a Visayan term which means "to continue".

I have always loved yearbooks. In fact, when fire threatened our abode two months back, I immediately threw my elementary and high school yearbooks into my "to save" bag, especially because the latter is the fruit of my labor (and the rest of the ed-board of course :D). That is why the thought of taking a glimpse of the college yearbook always makes me giddy. And yesterday, the long wait is over. Here is my page:

And here's a closer look at my description, courtesy of my friend, Jejo:

Speaking of, another reason why I looked forward to getting my copy of the yearbook is because I wrote some of my classmates' descriptions. And seeing them on print, and seeing how much they loved it, makes me really really proud :-)

However, much as I wanted my page to be perfect, after minutes of scrutiny I found out that they put the wrong creative shot! :-( This is what's supposed to be in the middle frame:

What should have been just a background photo was the one published. Not creative at all. :-( It was disappointing. And the effort put to editing was wasted. Oh well, I just think that at the very least, they didn't misspell my name (so sorry for you, Noreen) or put "Time is gold" in my description. And I  am still pretty in that shot! Hahaha.

I and some college friends at the Relans Studio, the official

 graduation studio and yearbook publisher of PLM.

Despite the mistake, I still love my yearbook. It may be a heavy addition to my to-save stuff but it's also a memoir of my glorious college days in my beloved Pamantasan.

Two Months and Still Twitterpated

I knew that at some point I will be writing about our Anniversary Celebration in Tagaytay. It was so wonderful a trip that I actually am torn about which to focus on, the itinerary or the experience. Help me God, I am not so sure if I could do it justice.

Alright, here goes. (It’s been exactly two months today but I remember the entire weekend like it was just yesterday, really :))

I took a week-long vacation from work the week of our Anniversary and I was really really dragging the days till it’s June 4th already – my Mom’s 42nd birthday and our 5th year as a couple. Our official celebration started with a dinner at Classic Savory Chicken in Cash & Carry. We weren’t that hungry so we just ordered their combo meal that’s good for two and it was more than enough.

(Combo meal coonsists of 1/2 fried chicken, creamy fish fillet,
pancit canton, turon, 2 cups of rice and their tropical cooler.
Oh, let me just mention, their gravy is sooooooooo good!)

After dinner, we bought a few grocery items. Look at Jhay carrying the plastic bags containing our baon to Tagaytay.

We then headed home. Jhay decided to just sleep over so that we can leave early in the morning. It’s play time with Haley first before we hit the sack.

The next morning we woke up at around 4:30. We had breakfast, a quick bath then we’re off to Gil Puyat to catch the 6AM trip. Funny thing is that I kept reading about travel blogs on Tagaytay but I overlooked that they all said EDSA-Taft bus terminal and not Gil Puyat. Needless to say, we were at the wrong place so we had to take another ride to EDSA. Jhay was laughing at me the whole time because I acted like I know it all. But that was just what I thought. Hahahaha.

Despite the mistake, we were able to get in the bus at 6AM. And then it’s official! We’re heading to Tagaytay! :D

The bus ride, which by the way costs 78 pesos, was filled with kwento, kulitan and a few sweet kisses. There wasn’t a dull moment in the 1.5-hour trip. I can still recall how Jhay joked about it: “Ang bilis ng byahe, magaling kasi yung driver, parang ako.”  I was like, “Oh-kay.” LOL.

We reached Olivarez Plaza and up next is our blooper #2: The conductor was shouting “Olivarez, Olivarez” but being the bighead that I am, I insisted it’s not yet time to get off because the Tagaytay Rotunda is still a few meters ahead. But again, I was wrong. When we got off, we we’re told that we already got past the jeepney terminal to most of the tourist destinations. So we had no choice but to walk back to the terminal. And did I say the sun’s heat was crazy and the walk was like 200-300 meters??? So yeah, if you ever have to commute to People’s Park in the Sky or Picnic Grove, the terminal is in front of Touch Point Spa. And please, listen to the conductor. Haha.

Around 8:30, we’re on our way to our first destination: PEOPLE’S PARK IN THE SKY. The jeepney fare going there is 16php/head, way cheaper than tricycle which is 120php. At the entrance, you have to pay 15php/head too. There were jeepneys by the gate offering to take you to the park's peak, but we chose to walk. It was kind of hard for us to walk up the slope fast because we were carrying all our things.

Shortly, we reached the sky. Haha. Of course, we took a lot of pictures. And for the record, Jhay was cooperative. Posing in front of the camera is so not his thing but looks like he enjoyed it as much as I did.

There are a lot of souvenir shops in People's Park and here's where we found this really cute shirt. It's at 180php each. We tried to haggle but the saleslady was firm. Since we loved the colors and the fit, we bought it!

We walked around some more but it looked like it's gonna rain in a few minutes time. Look at the before and after pics:

So even if it's only 10:30 AM, still too early for the 1pm check-in time, we headed for our next stop: KENI PO ROOMS. From PPS to Keni Po, you have to take two short jeepney rides: one to the terminal (PhP 7 each) and another to Keni Po (PhP 8 each).

Keni Po is actually one of the reasons why I pursued writing about our trip. I wanted to rave about the good service and the great ambiance! The room that we got was only PhP 1500/night (Php 1200 on weekdays) but I am super satisfied! It was nice and cozy and I loved our bath tub and veranda! And they recently added a new amenity - a swimming pool with no extra charge. Keni Po is a really really good choice :-)

We got there at around 11AM and the room that we have reserved is still occupied so they asked us to stay in one of their cottages first. Because we are too lazy to go somewhere else to buy food, we ordered from the logde's menu instead. For early lunch, we had Pork Adobo and Sinigang na Bangus. The food is average in terms of taste, but not bad for it's price. Plus they come in big servings.

Jhay and I while waiting for our room. We reserved Room I, 
one of the only two rooms with a bath tub ^_^

Around 12:30, we were led to our room. Aaaaah, the bed is so tempting I just wanna lay down till the next day! Hahaha. We took a rest, watched TV, cuddled and eventually fell asleep. Oh, how could I have forgotten! We had dessert: a yummy homemade leche flan that I bought at Imus!

3 hours of recharging and we're all set to our next destination: PICNIC GROVE. From Keni Po, we took a tricycle for PhP 40. Entrance to this famous Tagaytay spot is PhP 50/head. We originally planned to try the Zipline but the queue was so long. Thus, we just wandered and again, camwhored.

A little shy of 5pm, we went out of Picnic Grove. Based on my research there's another place to go to right beside it, and this time I'm right! :P It's a shrine called TIERRA DE MARIA. It has a giant image of Mama Mary carved in wood. I wish we were able to go near it but there was a mass when we arrived. So we just took a few souvenir shots and afterwards enjoyed some street food :-)

 

Considering the travel time from Keni Po to Picnic Grove via tricycle, I thought it was just a short distance so I insisted on walking going back. Turned out it wasn't that near. Haha. We didn't mind though, because we enjoyed the long walk hand-in-hand ^_^ And with the Tagaytay climate, it isn't much of a burden doing so. We passed by a 7-11 store to grab a quick bite then we went on with the walk.

Here's honey posing by our door (that's Room I as in the 9th letter of the alphabet, just in case you'll also be reserving it) :-)

We arrived at the lodge in time for dinner. Thanks to the bed, we were like glued to it again so we just got what's available at Keni Po. We had Longsilog and Tilapia with Talong and Bagoong. The Longganisa was good but the fish was a bit toasted. But we still loved the meals and our tummies couldn't agree more.

After dinner was more quality time. We talked about the beginning of our relationship. Most of you may not know yet that Jhay and I met only through text messaging. Yes, nothing more than textmates. How our love blossomed both of us also can't tell. We reminisced about the getting-to-know-each-other phase, the first few dates, the first kiss. We remembered the days when we were still students, and missing a class or two just to see each other. We recalled the problems that came our way and how it felt to overcome them together. We stayed close the entire night: me lying in his arms, him hugging me tight and both of us wishing that we have the power to stop time just so we could stay in that moment for the rest of our lives.

The dreamy interlude ended as we woke up to a misty Tagaytay morning. Through the glass sliding door fog can actually be seen outside. We went out in the veranda and boy, the scent of nature was heavenly! It's something you can never experience in Manila, something that I am grateful I enjoyed with Jhay by my side. Soon we ordered breakfast. I've read a review about Keni Po's Tapa so we decided to give it a try. I was able to pitch into my bag a couple of 3-in-1 coffee so we just asked that hot water be served together with our meal (yes, it's free). This time we dined al fresco style while making the most out of the fresh air and the pretty sight of the greeneries. Indeed the tapa is tasty but there were a few pieces that we set aside because they were the litid part of the meat. Nonetheless, our breakfast was good. :-)

Afterwards, we rested for like half an hour then put on our swimming attire. I've been making kulit to Jhay since the previous day that we go swimming and finally, he gave in. We took pictures at the poolside then I dipped in first while he took pictures of me in the water. Hahaha. A few minutes later, he joined me in and we took a few more shots. Notice that he didn't have pictures in the far end of the pool. Yes, my honey doesn't know how to swim but when I asked him what he’ll do if I drown, he immediately answered, "Syempre matututo ako!". Kinilig naman ako ^_^

 Enjoying much, hon? :P

At around 11am we got out of the pool to prepare for the 12nn check out. We fixed our things, took a bath and as planned, wore the shirt that we bought at People's Park. We knew we'd be taking more pictures and our pink and blue combo would be picture-perfect. We bid our room goodbye by having one last photo session and at exactly 12nn, we went out of the room and headed to the reception area to settle our bill. I was totally surprised because the total amount due is only Php 2045! That’s already inclusive of the one-night accommodation and 3 full meals! Since the room is Php 1500, each meals only costs an average of 185, and that’s already for two. It’s super sulit to stay in Keni Po! And as we walked out of the premises, we had two things in mind: (1) We’d definitely go back; (2) We’d recommend it to our friends :-)

This explains why this time, mine is blue and his is pink. Picture taken July of 2009.

@ Keni Po's lush garden

One of the staff took this picture. 5 stars for customer service! :)

* more kwento tonight *