I'm not yet married, so I don't have anything to say on that regard. Like Frances, my family is not rich but we weren't poor either. But there was a time when I had to go to school with my shoes gaping open and all of my school things were second hand. There was also a time when my mom would even borrow my allowance just so we can have something to eat. Yes, it was that worst. My mom was in debt, big time. While my cousins had the latest things, I had their hand-me-downs. I even experienced not getting a haircut for more than a year. Whenever I remember those days, I can't help but cry... but these tears are of happiness because despite all those things, my mom and I was able to rise above it all.

Through all those, my mom made sure that I finish my education. She encouraged me despite my laziness to get better (if not the best) grades. It's the only thing that I can leave you with, she said. We don't have hectares of lands or multi-million businesses. She also said (this is her opinion and now my own), that with a good education (not exactly schools), I would also be exposed to people who also has the same ambition as I do....

She was right.

I was in law school when I met R. We became friends through our classmates and we clicked. We understood each other because we had the same goal, we wanted to help our family by becoming a lawyer. I wanted to take care of my mom while Ron wanted his parents to come home from working abroad. It wasn't about the same songs or books we like. Although, Frances, Ron loves to read. :) It wasn't also about the physical attractiveness (although there was that). It wasn't also about our friends' coaxing that "we look good together." We both have grand dreams, we wanted to live a life that our parents wasn't able to live. We want our kids to have the best, much like what our parents strives for us to have. We love each others' company because we can talk about anything and not feel the least bored. Yes, I can stand him talking about basketball and he can stand me talking incessantly about my makeups.

Like Frances' Vince, R is as generous with his gifts. He showered me with lavish things through out our relationship. He spoils me rotten that people started to take notice. One of his friends even warned him that I was high-maintenance. But all those things I know comes from his heart and not just something he think he needs to do. In return when I earned my own money, I also lavished him with the things. If he can do those, why can't I right? That is just one way to show how much we love each other.

Now, we do everything together. We invest for our future, we bought a place that we now call our home. Slowly, we are building a future that will be a fulfillment of both our dreams...

Love is not a knight sweeping you off your feet and taking you to his castle of gold. It's when he was there and helped you up after you made a blunder of yourself. Love is when you're crying and you won't talk to anyone but he still stayed. Love is when he won't rush you when you're doing you're makeup. Love is when you can't stand basketball and yet you shout when his team wins. Love is when you sleep mad at each other but wake up holding each other. Love is when the most important person in your life died and he was there to help you pick up the pieces and slowly put them back together.

I thank my mother for providing me the best she could. She was the instrument of God so that I could meet R. I know that there will always be a guy who'll be richer or better looking but none of them will ever have what R has, an unexplainable devotion to a girl who has nothing to share but her love for him and the rest of her life.

Yes, I think my story is like a fairy tale as well.. simply because, like those story books we read, I know I found my happily ever after.

I'm not a perfect person (many are often annoyed with me), but if I could find my God's Best, I'm sure you will as well.


much love and happiness,
Shen

P.S. Thanks Frances for your post, you made me realize how blessed I am that I have R in my life.