My 12 and 8-Year Old Love Story Equals Twenty

"I'm so sorry".  I said that with a twisted low voice to my husband when he passed by in front of me.  He softly looked at me.  Then I added in my naughtiness, "You should say sorry to me, too"  ( with some giggles...and ouch really heheheheh).  He did not do that.  Instead,  he pulled me and embraced me tightly and bent his head to mine.  Now, you could say "Best love story of all time"  (hahahha nag drama lang). 

I think this is one of the best times to share our story as a couple on how we deal with each other.  We got married really late (in our mid 30's or almost late 30s hahahha).  

For almost 12 years in the relationship, we thought we have known each other that well. But, really, a lot of unexpected behaviors can surface still when we got married.  The best parts in our relationship were not really  those fine characters that we show to each other but the not so good ones that turned out to be our challenge on how to best respond to each other.  

The thing is, we are both assertive individuals.  We say things in assertion which left us in pain sometimes taking them too personally and soooo seriously.  Sometimes petty things become serious source of fights or argument which made us realize that we were wasting so much of those energies giving in to petty ones.  

We are 8 - year old married couple.  In the first two years of our being together, we did "bungol" (not talk at all  when not so good things happen) to each other.  But we both realized, we live together in one house and felt like we had  no choice but to stay together ( walking out could be easier when you are both single).  

Then,  the behavior a little bit progressed into putting a little drama in front of our daughter such that when we argue privately, we tried to deal with our daughter as if no argument happened between us.

On and on until, our daughter saw as argue and then she saw us reconcile immediately. So it led me also to realize that our daughter has to see the realities of mama and papa arguing at times and reconciling also.  

Benedictine Monastery - Malaybalay City

You see, the one of the best gifts that I received in our married life is the gift of person of my husband.  He is such a very forgiving person and more than anything prays with me and my daughter every single day.

With our daughter Maria Mikaela

One time in the past, we agreed to still hold each other's hands even if we had a fight or argument.  I felt awkward at first when it happened.  But we got used to it.  And even when we sleep at night, we find each other holding hands until we doze off to sleep.  

All I could say is...ours may not be the best love story..(or however you would call what I have with my husband) but is best founded and anchored in the relationship that we first established with God...This happens when couples pray together and bring their families together to prayer.  That's what I and my husband did to our family.

Now, this is our 12 (when we were still single) and 8 - year Old (married life) love story...equals twenty:-).

PS...I asked my husband this morning why earthquake frequently happens lately and specifically in a particular place in Mindanao.  He simply stated "so that man will go back to God...so that they will remember that they need to pray...and go back to God."  He is simply sooo natural ...