Amid My Silent Reverie

Agripa-Diño Nuptials, January 18, 2018, San Antonio de Padua, Parañaque

" In my own words,  destiny is the progression of events that are beyond the control of humans. It is synonymous to fate, serendipity and kismet." Do you believe in fate? Do you think there really is a supreme reason in every single thing that is happening to us? Do you agree that in whichever way the roads in our lives turn, it is guided by a divine purpose? I do.  Of course, we still have our own free will. But most often than not, they are just mere tests of our faith in Him. Will we act according to His words and teachings or will we be doing things based on our instincts alone? Putting it in the context of love, how would you know that he really is the one God has reserved for you? How would you determine if he will be the one you are marrying? Do you consider the length of the relationship or the feelings you have right now? Or is it a mixture of both? The story I am going to share with you involves destiny.

What are the indicators you look for in your partners to prove that they love you? Do you count the gifts or the times they say "I love you?" Or the instances they have posted sweet messages on Facebook? There are more than a thousand ways to show our love for a person but the most common, I think, of which we tend to disregard are the SACRIFICES . It may be unnoticed or less appreciated, but in reality, it is a culture embedded in each and everyone of us. It just varies depending on the level of willingness to sacrifice. It is an everyday thing; just like when we stay up late every night talking to our partners instead of sleeping; when we could've eaten every food that has our favorite shrimp but we wouldn't because we know they are allergic; when the guys could've been driving home but they have to bring their partners to their homes first even if that is farther away than their places; when we could've bought that nice pair of shoes but we couldn't ...

In the midst of my usual quiet and alone time this morning, I unexpectedly received a message from a friend who wanted to share the recent status of her relationship with her boyfriend. A few experiences on the matter does not make me a guru but I felt really humbled that she chose me as her confidant. I cherish the times that my friends come to me asking for an advice or just a listening ear. All the while they thought I was only helping them but in reality, they are also returning the favor to me - by making me feel that I am needed and I personally think it is living a life with purpose. Apparently, her boyfriend is calling their relationship to a close but she hasn't accepted it yet. And based on her stories, it maybe because the man is already talking and hanging out with someone else. They have been together for the longest time now; shared numerous birthdays, monthsaries , anniversaries, a list of favorite restaurants to go to, bought countless of couple stuff together ...

I've been in a long distance relationship for eight months now and I must say it really is a hard work. Although we've seen each other for four days when I visited him together with my friends last June, the thought of being with your partner as and when you need him is I guess the biggest challenge and the one I miss the most. Maybe you can still work it out by not seeing him in days or weeks but if it started counting to 4, 8 and eventually 12 months, do you think you could still shrug off and disregard the longing and sadness of being apart? I define long distance relationships as those couples who are not readily available to go out on spontaneous dates, aren't able to celebrate monthsaries, anniversaries, birthdays, and basically all the holidays together. They can work out on one special date, and is a blessing if they do, but not really all. Add the times that one of you is sick or is stressed at work that the main thing you want is give them a hug to comfort th...