reasons to be in love

These may be rational, logical, cerebral, sensible and reasonable points.  Or these may be irrelevant, ridiculous, foolish, absurd and impertinent issues.  Whatever!

1. Surprises
2. A stranger mistakes you for a movie star
3. Slow dancing without any music
4. You like it
5. You want to go to bed smiling
6. You feel giddy hearing him say goodnight
7. Operas, and movies with Tom Cruise in it
8. Classical music, to pepper your mounting MP3 collection
9. His smile
10. His laughter
11. Your laughter together
12. Someone sent you flowers with no card attached
13. He said the phrase
14. You kinda said it back, no big!
15. A full moon
16. The salary raise is still so far away
17. That fatal attraction
18. You won't find it in the duty free section
19. Your boss is not against it
20. He would recommend it, if he knows
21. Tradition
22. Super stylin'
23. It is allowed
24. It's expected of you
25. Holding hands
26. Confidence
27. Curiosity, maddening curiosity
28. The way you feel when he is near you
29. You deserve to
30. Your anniversary
31. Leaves of absence
32. Numerous endless long distance calls
33. Morning messages
34. Your bestfriend
35. The traffic light turns green
36. First dinner
37. Looking forward to your first shared Christmas
38. You don't mind reading chain letters
39. Wishes on a star
40. It's overwhelming
41. It's Thursday
42. He wears glasses
43. He looks gorgeous on khaki pants
44. He smells good
45. Winks
46. Second glances that last too long
47. Gravity
48. Decreasing your sugar intake
49. Fireplaces you dreamed about
50. Guitar solos
51. Piano solos
52. Singing for him
53. Someone unexpectedly has invited you to lunch
54. A politician's task is to search for the eligible man in town
55. You're already spoken for
56. Class reunions
57. You can't take it with you
58. You can't even blasted talk about it 24/7!
59. It has a lot of premiums
60. Spring
61. Cable tv
62. Clean white sheets
63. The world wide web
64. He is very sweet
65. Road trips to nowhere
66. Destiny prepared you for this
67. Bathing in the rain
68. Collecting memories
69. Modesty
70. Pizza with extra cheese
71. Casablanca
72. Staying unloved and uninspired is so - uninspired
73. Italian dressing in that salad
74. Trust
75. His flight has just landed
76. He is so different
77. There's nothing else to try after swimming and badminton
78. Lazy afternoons
79. Wishing, just wishing, you know French
80. Letting go of seatbelts
81. A prince is not necessarily a king's son
82. The idea of eloping and flying away
83. White porch swings
84. You're difficult
85. Office hours
86. Fireworks
87. Being called by a special name
88. A thousand times
89. Fantasies
90. Valentine's day everyday
91. Reading poetry aloud
92. Nice to be caught under a mistletoe
93. Icecream toppings with diet soda
94. You have gotten tired of being cynical
95. The thought of being awakened by a kiss
96. Nights out
97. It's payday, and you're getting the whole works
98. A dimmer switch in the piano bar
99. Topping the scores in Text Twist
100. You won't run since you can't hide
101. Picnics that you plan to have next time
102. Values
103. The distance between you is - what distance!
104. Champagne
105. He is the Viking
106. Lust
107. His mind
108. His corny jokes you laugh at
109. Romance
110. Bridges
111. You only live once
112. Reincarnation
113. Success
114. The blues and all that jazz
115. Honesty
116. Finding out his childhood games
117. Finding out his greatest obsessions
118. It's your birthday and it's your party
119. Time to give in
120. Your prayer gets answered
121. Car rental agencies
122. Acting silly for a change
123. Wind in your face
124. Staring at work
125. Multi-tasking at work
126. Emails
127. Conquering a hill
128. Climbing the mole hills you created
129. An attentive secretary
130. Being born too early or too late or in a wrong century
131. Birds on your window sill
132. Solitude is deafening
133. You are really allergic to coffee
134. Daydreams
135. You're not in therapy
136. You gained a pound
137. There are 365 days in a year
138. Love at first sight, though nobody won't admit to it
139. It's the greatest while it lasts
140. It's a gift
141. Hugs and kisses
142. The pink sunrise
143. Love

yes, you can say it

With all the fairy tales we tell our children, it is a big wonder why people intentionally miss out on the magic in life. I set to correct that with my wedding.

So six months before my altar date with Mike, with our pamanhikan already concluded - I just got enough time for me to go into the passionate preparation of the paper stuff. Do not be deceived by this so-called paper stuff. This did not only mean the singular license to marry, but it was everything and anything that I believed should be present in my wedding. Invitation letters that were to be sent before the invitation cards, the 5-page invitation cards, copies of the music sheets of the songs in the Holy Mass for the choir group, individually named place cards for each plate in the tables, the wedding script for the reception masters of ceremonies, the guide for the technical assistants for music and food and pictorials, the unpredictable guest list which must stick to the targeted number, and yes - the Missal.

I decided to prepare the Missal for our wedding. From the entrance of the bridal entourage down to the signing of the contract. I wanted to have it all covered. And Mike agreed that I could do it - and then he would have a look.

First, he found it too long. It seemed there were pages and pages of it. Then he claimed it had the makings of a grade-B movie production. And to top it all, did he really have to have a part in it? Why, guests would not really care much about the ceremonies anyway, and just look forward to its end so things would progress to the reception. That was mean and cruel. I listened to Mike alright, but by heavens, it was my wedding and I was getting this special day for me only once in my life and I swore I shall make it the way I wanted it to be. The long ceremonies stayed put on paper.

Then it was rehearsal time between the two of us. I wanted Mike and I to know the words before we are going to proclaim them in front of witnesses. When we went over them, his eyes grew big. Who would care what we will say? Why, do they really say that during the exchange of nuptial vows? No, I assured him that it was my idea. Will the priest officiating the sacrament of Holy Matrimony let me get away with it? Of course, I assured him again. Nobody gives that kind of a vow in church! Why not, it is really sane; it is the reason why we are marrying each other!

I can remember that our reading rehearsal was one of the few times Mike and I laughed during the last few days before our wedding. We would start reading the vows with our most serious faces, but that line will always break our resolve. We could not help smiling and grinning at each other.

We took one step forward with our nuptial vows. We vowed to love each other. So when we browse over our wedding pictures and see those shots where Mike was smiling and I was smiling - that was the time when he was declaring:

"Heidi, in front of God and this Christian community, I wed you to be my wife in good times and in bad, in joys and in sorrows, in sickness and in health. I LOVE YOU. I give and dedicate my whole self to you as your husband..."

What could get any better than that?

While I grew up with the stories of enchanted ladies who saw the sky weep and the unicorn fly, Mike grew up with visions of raging Indians and the World War II. He has been planted on terra firma on his own way, and he might have claimed that nobody vows I love you in front of a church congregation. But he did it just the same almost ten years ago.

After ten years, and you're busy proving it, it is nice to be reminded.

it's always a girl thing

We met and bonded in college. Impressionable young ladies with an attitude to boot. We were never with a lack of heart and gumption, and so now it would be best if I do it alphabetically.

The Ketchupp Sisters are Rachel Carbonilla, Chona Carmencita Dancel-Panes, Cecile delos Reyes, Ma. Carmina "Chola" Elayda-Bautista, Mary Joy Gundran (c'mon Chichi send me her married name please!), Jennifer Liu-Wu, Ma. Noche Miro-Vicente, Meloriza "Melon" Porras-Candelaria, Heidi Grace Pulido-Mendoza, Grace Henidina Torres-Belisario. And too, there is Ma. Conchitina Luces.

During those four years in college, we never went out to watch movies late into the night, but we chose the university library as our Mecca and the place to hang out. We did not have the pleasure of being proper debutantes and exchanging dancing partners, but we swapped answers in our homeworks. We were not a cluster of roses which lured a bevy of bees, but we were confident that we were marigolds under the sun.

As a group, we made a pact and considered ourselves as sisters. We were always ready for the other. Like a modern, enlarged, noisy female musketeer gathering. We considered ourselves indestructible then. We laughed together at the same boys in school. We forged our clique amidst burgers and catsup. Some inspiration.

Never to a fault, each one of us were always complementing the others. We never competed. At least not openly. To make everybody happy, we knew who we were: one was beautiful, the others pretty, dazzling, gorgeous, attractive, stunning, lovely, exquisite, charming and divine. Why alternately, we could be any of that any day.

We even had a Ketchupp Gazette. We planned it to become an international success beyond the four walls of our classroom. But all we got is a maiden issue and an uncompleted second issue.

Growing up is what happened to us. We ultimately became Certified Public Accountants all. And yet at the back of our minds, we long for a chance when we could bake some sinfully delicious cake with a foreign difficult name, or learn tango on a lazy afternoon.

Careers gave us a different kind of strength and freedom - giving each the push of the wind to soar, but with the tug of the string to come back to each other when needed.

Marriage claimed some of us, too. And work and distance can sometimes make you forget. But remembering is sweet. And it is never really difficult to meet and see each other again. You can grow a second chin, but you cannot grow out of a friendship which promised to be there in all kinds of weather. That pact? Oh, it's a girl thing.