Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Best Kind of Love
By Annette Paxman Bowen
I have a friend who is falling in love. She honestly claims the sky is bluer. Mozart moves her to tears. She has lost 15 pounds and looks like a cover girl. "I'm young again!" she shouts exuberantly.
As my friend raves on about her new love, I've taken a good look at my old one. My husband of almost 20 years, Scott, has gained 15 pounds. Once a marathon runner, he now runs only down hospital halls. Hishairline is receding and his body shows the signs of long working hours and too many candy bars. Yet he can still give me a certain look across a restaurant.
When my friend asked me "What will make this love last?" I ran through all the obvious reasons: commitment, shared interests, unselfishness, physical attraction, communication.Yet there's more.
We still have fun. Spontaneous good times. Yesterday, after slipping the rubber band off the rolled up newspaper, Scott flipped it playfully at me: this led to an all-out war. Last Saturday at the grocery, we split the list and raced each other to see who could make it to the checkout first.
Even washing dishes can be a blast. We enjoy simply being together. And there One time I came home to find a note on the front door that led me to another note, then another, until I reached the walk-in closet. I opened the door to find Scott holding a "pot of gold (my cooking kettle) and the "treasure" of a gift package. Sometimes I leave him notes on the mirror and little presents under his pillow.
There is understanding. I understand why he must play basketball with the guys. And he understands why, once a year, I must get away from the house, the kids - and even him-to meet my sisters for a few days of nonstop talking and laughing.
There is sharing. Not only do we share household worries and parental burdens - we also share ideas. Scott came home from a convention last month and presented me with a thick historical novel. Though he prefers thrillers and science fiction, he had read the novel on the plane. He touched my heart when he explained it was because he wanted to be able to exchange ideas about the book after I'd read it.
There is forgiveness. When I'm embarrassingly loud and crazy at parties, Scott forgives me. When he confessed losing some of our savings in the stock market, I gave him a hug and said, "It's okay. It's only money."
There is sensitivity. Last week he walked through the door with that look that tells me it's been a tough day. After he spent some time with the kids, I asked him what happened. He told me about a 60-year old woman who'd had a stroke. He wept as he recalled the woman's husband standing beside her bed, caressing her hand. How was he going to tell this husband of 40 years that his wife would probably never recover? I shed a few tears myself. Because of the medical crisis. Because there were still people who have been married 40 years. Because my husband is still moved and concerned after years of hospital rooms and dying patients.
There is faith. Last Tuesday a friend came over and confessed her fear that her husband is losing his courageous battle with cancer. On Wednesday I went to lunch with a friend who is struggling to reshape her life after divorce. On Thursday a neighbor called to talk about the frightening effects of Alzheimer's disease on her father-in-law's personality. On Friday a childhood friend called long-distance to tell me her father had died. I hung up the phone and thought, this is too much heartache for one week.
Through my tears, as I went out to run some errands, I noticed the boisterous orange blossoms of the gladiolus outside my window. I heard the delighted laughter of my son and his friend as they played. I caught sight of a wedding party emerging from a neighbor's house. The bride, dressed in satin and lace, tossed her bouquet to her cheering friends. That night, I told my husband about these events. We helped each other acknowledge the cycles of life and that the joys counter the sorrows. It was enough to keep us going.
Finally, there is knowing. I know Scott will throw his laundry just shy of the hamper every night; he'll be late to most appointments and eat the last chocolate in the box. He knows that I sleep with a pillow over
my head; I'll lock us out of the house at a regular basis, and I will also eat the last chocolate.
I guess our love lasts because it is comfortable. No, the sky is not bluer: it's just a familiar hue. We don't feel particularly young: we've experienced too much that has contributed to our growth and wisdom, taking its toll on our bodies, and created our memories. I hope we've got what it takes to make our love last.
As a bride, I had Scott's wedding band engraved with Robert Browning's line "Grow old along with me!"
We're following those instructions. "If anything is real, the heart will make it plain." There are some people who meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try. I wouldn't expect you to understand that, or even believe it, but trust me, there are some love that don't go away. And maybe that makes them crazy, but we should all be lucky to end up with that somebody who has a little of that insanity. Somebody who never lets go. Somebody who cherishes you forever.
I have a friend who is falling in love. She honestly claims the sky is bluer. Mozart moves her to tears. She has lost 15 pounds and looks like a cover girl. "I'm young again!" she shouts exuberantly.
As my friend raves on about her new love, I've taken a good look at my old one. My husband of almost 20 years, Scott, has gained 15 pounds. Once a marathon runner, he now runs only down hospital halls. Hishairline is receding and his body shows the signs of long working hours and too many candy bars. Yet he can still give me a certain look across a restaurant.
When my friend asked me "What will make this love last?" I ran through all the obvious reasons: commitment, shared interests, unselfishness, physical attraction, communication.Yet there's more.
We still have fun. Spontaneous good times. Yesterday, after slipping the rubber band off the rolled up newspaper, Scott flipped it playfully at me: this led to an all-out war. Last Saturday at the grocery, we split the list and raced each other to see who could make it to the checkout first.
Even washing dishes can be a blast. We enjoy simply being together. And there One time I came home to find a note on the front door that led me to another note, then another, until I reached the walk-in closet. I opened the door to find Scott holding a "pot of gold (my cooking kettle) and the "treasure" of a gift package. Sometimes I leave him notes on the mirror and little presents under his pillow.
There is understanding. I understand why he must play basketball with the guys. And he understands why, once a year, I must get away from the house, the kids - and even him-to meet my sisters for a few days of nonstop talking and laughing.
There is sharing. Not only do we share household worries and parental burdens - we also share ideas. Scott came home from a convention last month and presented me with a thick historical novel. Though he prefers thrillers and science fiction, he had read the novel on the plane. He touched my heart when he explained it was because he wanted to be able to exchange ideas about the book after I'd read it.
There is forgiveness. When I'm embarrassingly loud and crazy at parties, Scott forgives me. When he confessed losing some of our savings in the stock market, I gave him a hug and said, "It's okay. It's only money."
There is sensitivity. Last week he walked through the door with that look that tells me it's been a tough day. After he spent some time with the kids, I asked him what happened. He told me about a 60-year old woman who'd had a stroke. He wept as he recalled the woman's husband standing beside her bed, caressing her hand. How was he going to tell this husband of 40 years that his wife would probably never recover? I shed a few tears myself. Because of the medical crisis. Because there were still people who have been married 40 years. Because my husband is still moved and concerned after years of hospital rooms and dying patients.
There is faith. Last Tuesday a friend came over and confessed her fear that her husband is losing his courageous battle with cancer. On Wednesday I went to lunch with a friend who is struggling to reshape her life after divorce. On Thursday a neighbor called to talk about the frightening effects of Alzheimer's disease on her father-in-law's personality. On Friday a childhood friend called long-distance to tell me her father had died. I hung up the phone and thought, this is too much heartache for one week.
Through my tears, as I went out to run some errands, I noticed the boisterous orange blossoms of the gladiolus outside my window. I heard the delighted laughter of my son and his friend as they played. I caught sight of a wedding party emerging from a neighbor's house. The bride, dressed in satin and lace, tossed her bouquet to her cheering friends. That night, I told my husband about these events. We helped each other acknowledge the cycles of life and that the joys counter the sorrows. It was enough to keep us going.
Finally, there is knowing. I know Scott will throw his laundry just shy of the hamper every night; he'll be late to most appointments and eat the last chocolate in the box. He knows that I sleep with a pillow over
my head; I'll lock us out of the house at a regular basis, and I will also eat the last chocolate.
I guess our love lasts because it is comfortable. No, the sky is not bluer: it's just a familiar hue. We don't feel particularly young: we've experienced too much that has contributed to our growth and wisdom, taking its toll on our bodies, and created our memories. I hope we've got what it takes to make our love last.
As a bride, I had Scott's wedding band engraved with Robert Browning's line "Grow old along with me!"
We're following those instructions. "If anything is real, the heart will make it plain." There are some people who meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try. I wouldn't expect you to understand that, or even believe it, but trust me, there are some love that don't go away. And maybe that makes them crazy, but we should all be lucky to end up with that somebody who has a little of that insanity. Somebody who never lets go. Somebody who cherishes you forever.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Amazing Proposals
Quite some time ago, I witnessed a live public marriage proposal which sent me on a proposal-hunting spree on Youtube. Here is a bunch of interesting ones that I found:
1. on the Scrubs set
2. Disneyland musical
3. using a Harry Potter book in the Eiffel Tower
4. Super Mario
5. cute cellphone-edited video
But my favorite is this video. It was the "movie trailer" a guy made that he made to play in a movie theatre so he could propose to his fiance. I thought it was already extreme until I saw this list. Here is the breakdown, you can read in more detail on the site. Now excuse me while I cry a bit.
1. The man who proposed at Gravity Zero
2. The man who proposed virtually at Halo video game
3. The man who got on fire before kneeling down and proposing
4. The man who proposed at 20,000 feet just before skydiving
5. The man who raised money on the internet to buy TV ad space to propose
6. The man who hacked his Girlfriend's computer game to pop the question
7. The man who popped the question with umbrellas
8. A camera man who asked Tom Cruise to pop the question
9. The man who hired a £10,000 theatre company to play his proposal
10. The man who created an art exhibition to pop the question
1. on the Scrubs set
2. Disneyland musical
3. using a Harry Potter book in the Eiffel Tower
4. Super Mario
5. cute cellphone-edited video
But my favorite is this video. It was the "movie trailer" a guy made that he made to play in a movie theatre so he could propose to his fiance. I thought it was already extreme until I saw this list. Here is the breakdown, you can read in more detail on the site. Now excuse me while I cry a bit.
1. The man who proposed at Gravity Zero
2. The man who proposed virtually at Halo video game
3. The man who got on fire before kneeling down and proposing
4. The man who proposed at 20,000 feet just before skydiving
5. The man who raised money on the internet to buy TV ad space to propose
6. The man who hacked his Girlfriend's computer game to pop the question
7. The man who popped the question with umbrellas
8. A camera man who asked Tom Cruise to pop the question
9. The man who hired a £10,000 theatre company to play his proposal
10. The man who created an art exhibition to pop the question
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Technology Ruins Romance
In this day and age, all the beautifully tragic and emotional romantic situations from older movies and books are a lot more difficult to come by. Lost loves, missed opportunities, lovers' quests...are all taking on new shapes and forms.. This new series of shorts might give you an idea of what we mean.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Quotes on Heartbreak
I’d like to believe that one day, I’ll wake up and not miss him anymore. That I’ll finally understand that when he broke my heart, it was for a reason, one I don’t understand just yet. And when I do, I’ll see he messed up, not me.
The most painful realization a woman can have is to know that her man is happiest without her.
-Maya Tan-
I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken -- and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.
-Margaret Mitchell-
Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life. You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.
-Neil Gaiman
Today is different... I don't look at you the same. I don't look at you and say to myself "I wish he'd love me" because this morning when I woke up it just clicked... just like that. I realized that you can never love me. You won't let yourself. But that's all on you, not me, it was your decision, not mine. So if one day you'd think "I wish she'd love me" remember that day when you told me that we'd never be anything more than friends.
The most painful realization a woman can have is to know that her man is happiest without her.
-Maya Tan-
I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken -- and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.
-Margaret Mitchell-
Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life. You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.
-Neil Gaiman
Today is different... I don't look at you the same. I don't look at you and say to myself "I wish he'd love me" because this morning when I woke up it just clicked... just like that. I realized that you can never love me. You won't let yourself. But that's all on you, not me, it was your decision, not mine. So if one day you'd think "I wish she'd love me" remember that day when you told me that we'd never be anything more than friends.
Quotes on Love
Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back. Because the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.
-Meet Joe Black (movie)-
You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her.
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
-Germaine Greer-
Today I begin to understand what love must be, if it exists. When we are parted, we each feel the lack of the other half of ourselves. We are incomplete like a book in two volumes of which the first has been lost. That is what I imagine love to be: incompleteness in absence.
-Edmond and Jules de Goncourt-
Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
-Franklin P. Jones-
Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it... It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
It seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than the night before, like a switch has been flicked somewhere, and the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.
-The X-Files (the character Dana Katherine Scully)-
The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.
-Victor Hugo-
You know you're in love when you can say anything to the person and you know he won't laugh at you. When you can see his face when you close your eyes. When you can still feel his arms around you holding you tight after he's gone. When you can still taste his kiss after you have said goodbye. You can tell you're in love when you miss him even before he's gone. When his voice lingers in your ears. When his presence eases any pain. When his name sends chills down your spine. When he is the only one you can think about. You know you're in love when you can see all his hopes and dreams and his soul when you look into his eyes. When you call him at 4 in the morning to say I love you and mean it. When his tears stain not only your shirt, but also your heart. When you are hurt just because of these tears. When even a simple chore done with him can become a lasting memory. Ultimately, you know you're in love when you can't imagine living without him and can't figure, how did you live before you knew him? When he fulfills every need and without him you are incomplete. The love of someone else completes the heart, mind and soul all at once.
Someday, someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else.
-Meet Joe Black (movie)-
You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her.
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
-Germaine Greer-
Today I begin to understand what love must be, if it exists. When we are parted, we each feel the lack of the other half of ourselves. We are incomplete like a book in two volumes of which the first has been lost. That is what I imagine love to be: incompleteness in absence.
-Edmond and Jules de Goncourt-
Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
-Franklin P. Jones-
Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it... It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
It seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than the night before, like a switch has been flicked somewhere, and the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.
-The X-Files (the character Dana Katherine Scully)-
The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.
-Victor Hugo-
You know you're in love when you can say anything to the person and you know he won't laugh at you. When you can see his face when you close your eyes. When you can still feel his arms around you holding you tight after he's gone. When you can still taste his kiss after you have said goodbye. You can tell you're in love when you miss him even before he's gone. When his voice lingers in your ears. When his presence eases any pain. When his name sends chills down your spine. When he is the only one you can think about. You know you're in love when you can see all his hopes and dreams and his soul when you look into his eyes. When you call him at 4 in the morning to say I love you and mean it. When his tears stain not only your shirt, but also your heart. When you are hurt just because of these tears. When even a simple chore done with him can become a lasting memory. Ultimately, you know you're in love when you can't imagine living without him and can't figure, how did you live before you knew him? When he fulfills every need and without him you are incomplete. The love of someone else completes the heart, mind and soul all at once.
Someday, someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Cellphone Edited Marriage Proposal
Very creative, romantic rooftop marriage proposal... and yes, she said yes! All shot and edited on a Motorola Z10 mobile phone as well
Monday, November 16, 2009
Random Book Quotes
"The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!"
-Sense and Sensibility
"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."
-Pride and Prejudice
"Think of a baby, how she smiles and coos and reaches for the sun. Does she care if her little legs are chubby or if her belly is round? Of course not. All she knows is the joy of love."
-The Cinderella Pact
"I pull open the door and climb in, astutely observing that he is without a wedding ring and that this could be the start of a whirlwind romance thanks to my exploded car, but I have no expectations. Expectations hurt."
-The Cinderella Pact
"Even now, whenever I see his face creasing into a real smile, I feel a bit of a lift inside. Because I know he's not like that with everyone. He's smiling like that because it's me. For me."
-Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
"But as it came and went, disappearing and reappearing like the moon on a windswept and cloudy night, i felt myself withdrawing bit by bit, to a place where he could neither reach nor disappoint me. It was safer thus."
-Helen of Troy
"How can any of us bear what the years have put upon us? We cannot. That is why the aged are so stooped."
-Helen of Troy
"Kate is not going to die sooner because you have one more glass of wine, or because you stay overnight in a hotel, or because you let yourself crack up at a bad joke."
-My Sister's Keeper
"But I don't really think it's something he does on purpose. It's the way he gets noticed, you know? I mean, imagine what it would be like if you were a squirrel living in the elephant cage at the zoo. Does anyone ever go there and say, Hey, check out that squirrel? No, because there's something so much bigger you notice first."
-My Sister's Keeper
"A runaway train is an accident. Me, I'll jump in front of the tracks. I'll even tie myself down in front of the speeding engine. There's some illogical part of me that still believes if you want Superman to show up, first there's got to be someone worth saving."
-My Sister's Keeper
"I became a firefighter because I wanted to save people. But I should have been more specific. I should have named names."
-My Sister's Keeper
"The reason it's all off-kilter? The earth's axis wobbles. Life isn't nearly as stable as we want it to be."
-My Sister's Keeper
"When you come to the end, that's where God begins."
-Have a Little Faith
"Mom, you're not listening with your eyes."
-Have a Little Faith
"It is far more comforting to think God listened and said no, than to think that nobody's out there."
-Have a Little Faith
"Sometimes the mileage you get out of a great story is worth the hassle of actually going through the experience."
-Diary of a Working Girl
"The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected. Maybe they always have been and will be. Maybe we’ve lived a thousand lives before this one and in each of them we’ve found each other. And maybe each time, we’ve been forced apart for the same reasons. That means that this goodbye is both a goodbye for the past ten thousand years and a prelude to what will come."
-The Notebook
"We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox."
-The Notebook
"Dusk, I realized, is just an illusion, because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are; there cannot be one without the other, yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel, I remember wondering, to be always together, yet forever apart? I know the answer now. I know what it’s like to be day and night now; always together, forever apart."
-The Notebook
"My life? It isn’t easy to explain. It has not been the rip-roaring spectacular I fancied it would be, but neither have I burrowed around with the gophers. I suppose it has most resembled a blue-chip stock: fairly stable, more ups than downs, and gradually trending upwards over time. I’ve learned that not everyone can say this about his life.
But do not be misled. I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me this has always been enough."
-The Notebook
"Passion is passion. It’s the excitement between the tedious spaces, and it doesn’t matter where it’s directed…It can be coins or sports or politics or horses or music or faith…the saddest people I’ve ever met in life are the ones who don’t care deeply about anything at all."
-Dear John
"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment."
-Eat Pray Love
"Friendship—my definition—is built on two things,” he said. “Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don’t have trust, the friendship will crumble."
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
"That what I need to survive is not Gale’s fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that."
-Mockingjay
"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”
-Mockingjay
"There’s this piercing sort of pain where my heart is. Maybe I’m even having a heart attack, but it doesn’t seem worth mentioning."
-Mockingjay
-Sense and Sensibility
"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."
-Pride and Prejudice
"Think of a baby, how she smiles and coos and reaches for the sun. Does she care if her little legs are chubby or if her belly is round? Of course not. All she knows is the joy of love."
-The Cinderella Pact
"I pull open the door and climb in, astutely observing that he is without a wedding ring and that this could be the start of a whirlwind romance thanks to my exploded car, but I have no expectations. Expectations hurt."
-The Cinderella Pact
"Even now, whenever I see his face creasing into a real smile, I feel a bit of a lift inside. Because I know he's not like that with everyone. He's smiling like that because it's me. For me."
-Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
"But as it came and went, disappearing and reappearing like the moon on a windswept and cloudy night, i felt myself withdrawing bit by bit, to a place where he could neither reach nor disappoint me. It was safer thus."
-Helen of Troy
"How can any of us bear what the years have put upon us? We cannot. That is why the aged are so stooped."
-Helen of Troy
"Kate is not going to die sooner because you have one more glass of wine, or because you stay overnight in a hotel, or because you let yourself crack up at a bad joke."
-My Sister's Keeper
"But I don't really think it's something he does on purpose. It's the way he gets noticed, you know? I mean, imagine what it would be like if you were a squirrel living in the elephant cage at the zoo. Does anyone ever go there and say, Hey, check out that squirrel? No, because there's something so much bigger you notice first."
-My Sister's Keeper
"A runaway train is an accident. Me, I'll jump in front of the tracks. I'll even tie myself down in front of the speeding engine. There's some illogical part of me that still believes if you want Superman to show up, first there's got to be someone worth saving."
-My Sister's Keeper
"I became a firefighter because I wanted to save people. But I should have been more specific. I should have named names."
-My Sister's Keeper
"The reason it's all off-kilter? The earth's axis wobbles. Life isn't nearly as stable as we want it to be."
-My Sister's Keeper
"When you come to the end, that's where God begins."
-Have a Little Faith
"Mom, you're not listening with your eyes."
-Have a Little Faith
"It is far more comforting to think God listened and said no, than to think that nobody's out there."
-Have a Little Faith
"Sometimes the mileage you get out of a great story is worth the hassle of actually going through the experience."
-Diary of a Working Girl
"The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected. Maybe they always have been and will be. Maybe we’ve lived a thousand lives before this one and in each of them we’ve found each other. And maybe each time, we’ve been forced apart for the same reasons. That means that this goodbye is both a goodbye for the past ten thousand years and a prelude to what will come."
-The Notebook
"We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox."
-The Notebook
"Dusk, I realized, is just an illusion, because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are; there cannot be one without the other, yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel, I remember wondering, to be always together, yet forever apart? I know the answer now. I know what it’s like to be day and night now; always together, forever apart."
-The Notebook
"My life? It isn’t easy to explain. It has not been the rip-roaring spectacular I fancied it would be, but neither have I burrowed around with the gophers. I suppose it has most resembled a blue-chip stock: fairly stable, more ups than downs, and gradually trending upwards over time. I’ve learned that not everyone can say this about his life.
But do not be misled. I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me this has always been enough."
-The Notebook
"Passion is passion. It’s the excitement between the tedious spaces, and it doesn’t matter where it’s directed…It can be coins or sports or politics or horses or music or faith…the saddest people I’ve ever met in life are the ones who don’t care deeply about anything at all."
-Dear John
"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment."
-Eat Pray Love
"Friendship—my definition—is built on two things,” he said. “Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don’t have trust, the friendship will crumble."
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
"That what I need to survive is not Gale’s fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that."
-Mockingjay
"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”
-Mockingjay
"There’s this piercing sort of pain where my heart is. Maybe I’m even having a heart attack, but it doesn’t seem worth mentioning."
-Mockingjay
Monday, November 09, 2009
The Best Version of You
by Yel Calalo
Manila International Airport , 2:00 am. It's been two years since she had last seen the Manila International Airport . Not much has changed.Her last memory of this airport was when Miguel dropped her off. She was on her way to New York to pursue a career in Wall Street. "Promise me something will you? Please don't get married until I come back?" She jokingly told him as she lifted up her backpack. "LOL. Very funny. Ikaw ang mag-promise. Promise me you won't run off with some nerdy economist in the next two years."
"Let's see, shall we. Bye, Miguel. I'll call you as soon I get to New York." That was her last memory in this place. The warm Manila air made her feel a bit restless and yet she feels excited. This is the first time in two years she'll be seeing Miguel again. She was thoughtfully going through the immigration counters, thinking of how much she missed seeing Miguel. How different would he be now? Sure he sends her regular weekly e-mails and pictures but being the busy person that she had always been, she didn't get the time to chat with him and buy a webcam.
She's finally out. "Where is Miguel?" She wondered. "Ah there!" she exclaimed when she saw the silver gray Nissan Patrol parked near the exit. TGW926. Yup, that's Miguel alright. Her heart was leaping ahead of her as the driver got off. "Hey! I missed you!" He said, as he hugged her.
"I missed you too. So much." She said, as she hugged him back. It was warm. It felt good to be back. It felt great to feel his hug. "Let me get those." He said pointing at her luggage. "Then we'll have more time for hugging and chika."
"Okay."
Edsa, 4:30 am. Miguel's cellphone rings. Mama, the name flashes on the screen.
"You should really get that."
"No, you should get that. She's been waiting for you. She insist that we go straight to her after I pick you up form the airport. She also insist that you spend tomorrow with her." Miguel was talking about her mother. Miguel was an only child and his mother wanted a daughter. She would often tell Bea that since she doesn't have a mom anymore, she should let Tita Doris be her second mom. She loved Bea as if she were her own daughter.
"Hello? Yes, Tita. How are you nap po?... ah opo. Miguel already told me. Sige po. Okay po. I'll see you later." She turns off the phone and looks out the window. The phone rings again, this time the name "Sugar" flashes on the screen. Hmmm, "Sugar." He was quick. He got a hold of the phone and answered it. "Hello. Yeah. Pauwi na. I'm with her na. Yeah. Tomorrow, I will. Promise. We'll see you tomorrow."
We? Is that supposed to mean me and him? See Sugar? Who is Sugar, anyway? "Who was that?" she couldn't keep herself from asking. "Sugar ha?"
"I'll introduce her tomorrow. Uwi muna tayo sa bahay. By the way, kamusta na si Edward?" "Edward?"
"Oo, si Edward, naalala mo yung boyfriend na iniwan mo sa New York ? Anong klase ka ba naming girlfriend? Kaya hindi kita niligawan eh. Baka makalimutan mo rin ako."
"Ah si Edward. Hayun. Nasa New York ." Miguel has met Edward when he came to New York to give Bea a surprise visit. He seems a nice guy. Not the geeky economist Miguel pictured Bea would end up with. He is actually a cool guy and loves Bea a lot.
"He called me up, a week ago, asking a lot of things about you. Parang may balak ata?"
"Balak na?" "Tell me, did he propose to you? He sounded like he was going to propose to you kasi." "Ah look, here we are at Tita Doris."
At Tita Doris', 4:45 am. A pleasantly plump woman enters the living room. She was in her mid-fifties, a familiar warm smile and two open arms. She welcomed Bea, gave her a big hug and kissed her on the cheek. "Hay anak, kamusta ka na? Na-miss na kita. Pinakain ka ba nito si Miguel?"
"Opo, Tita." She looked around. Not much has changed in this house. She remembers spending her college days in this house. She remembers sinking into Tita Doris' arms when her mom died. She remembers only good things about this woman. She can't remember a time when she had been unkind to her and yes, she loves her like her own mother.
"Iha, sabihan mo nga yang si Miguel. Sabihin mo 'wag padalos-dalos magdesisyon. "
"Po?"
"Mama naman. Let Bea rest. I'll tell her everything tomorrow." Miguel interrupted his mother before she can spill the beans.
"Ha? What was that all about?" Bea was curious.
"Bukas na lang."
"Okay. Tita, if it's okay I'll go rest now." She hugged her, and proceeded to climb the stairs. Miguel followed her carrying her luggage.
"Alam mo I missed this house. Uy sino ba si Sugar? Tsaka bakit parang worried nanay mo sa iyo?"
"Bukas na. Sugar is having lunch here."
"Hmmm, intriguing, pero sige. Bukas na." They were both standing as the door to the guest room. "Alam mo, it's really good to be back in this house. I'll see you tomorrow."
Tita Doris' 10:00 am. She woke up, sunlight flooding her bedroom. She was able to rest. She got up, arranged the bed sheets and took a nice, cold shower. Minutes later, she was down at the garden having brunch with Tita Doris.
"Hi! Tita. Where is Miguel?"
"Sinundo si Sugar."
"Sino ba yang Sugar na yan? Nai-intriga na ako."
"Iha, I'll let Miguel tell you who Sugar is. Promise me something, though. Whatever happens you'll always be my daughter, Bea?"
She felt scared. Why was Tita Doris suddenly serious? "Opo naman."
"Anyway, iha. I heard from Miguel your boyfriend sounded like he was going to propose a week ago. Did he propose?"
Bea looked at her hands, bare of any engagement ring. She looked at Tita Doris and smiled. Before she could answer, Miguel showed up. With him is a woman she had not seen before. She was of medium frame, shoulder length hair and looked very feminine.
"Sugar, the sister I never had, Bea. Bea, Sugar, my fiance`." It felt as if somebody had thrown cold water on her. His what? Blood rushed to her head.She blushed. Her cheeks felt very warm. She couldn't swallow. Her heart beating a hundred beats per minute.
"Your what?" She looked at Miguel, blushing then suddenly white as with shock. "I'm sorry, Sugar but this is quite a surprise. Miguel has never mentioned you in any of his e-mails," she said as she looked at Sugar with a confused look. She looked at Tita Doris, she looked back as if she was consoling her.
"Yeah, I got engaged. I'm keeping my promise. I'm getting married on Saturday. O di ba you're here so in essence I've kept my promise."
She managed to smile faintly. She hugged Miguel and congratulated him.She even managed to tell Sugar "You got a catch here, girl. Take good care of him or else I will snatch him under your nose." It sounded as if she was just joking, turning over a very important possession to it's next owner. In the deepest recesses of her person, she knew she meant it. "He told me a lot of nice things about you." Sugar said, smiling at her as if they had been friends for the longest time.
"I'm sure he has."
Lunch was served. All of Bea's favorite Filipino dishes. She and Sugar spent time chatting the afternoon away, looking at Bea's and Miguel's college photos and yearbooks. She found out that Sugar likes most of the things she does. They both came from the same high school. As she tried to get to know Sugar better during their afternoon chat, she realized that not only was she perfect for Miguel, she also seemed like the best gal pal Bea could find. They talked about the wedding details, the dress, the ring, the shoes, the tiara. They like almost the same places, the same styles, the same shops. She told Sugar they should do shopping marathon together. Had it been another day, she would be telling herself that this is really a great opportunity to find someone who understands her shopping needs.Except that this is not one of those days? Except that this woman, this perfect, feminine girlfriend was Miguel's fiance`.
Bea's phone rings. The name Boyfriend flashes.
"You should really get that" Sugar told Bea.
"Yeah, I guess I should. Hello? Yes? I'm good. I'm here at Miguel's. Oh have in front of me Sugar, Miguel's fiance`." The words almost got stuck in her throat, but she still managed to give Sugar a smile. "Listen, I'll call you later. I have very good news for you."
Miguel sat down beside Bea. Sugar was looking at them and asked "So tell me? Was there never a time the two of you were more than Platonic?" Bea and Miguel looked at each other then looked at their own hands. Miguel's gaze turned to Sugar. He answered "Of course not. Bea and I were never like that." "As in?" Sugar inquired. "LOL, oo naman. She was a handful. Too much to handle for me. I can't keep up with her. She's never stands still." Miguel looked at Bea and smiled, his eyes turning into slits as his dimples gloriously show.
"I guess that's the way for you. But not for Edward." Bea replied, with a little hint of disappointment. "Okay lang yun. Edward is tough enough." Miguel was still smiling.
"Wait, speaking of Edward. I need to call him."
Bea left the garden and went up to her room to call Edward. "Hello? Edward. Here goes. Yes. The answer is Yes."
*********
The wedding went well. It was one of the most elegant weddings she had seen. Sugar had everything covered and she was a very beautiful, blushing bride. "I, Miguel, take you, Sugar, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, love what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us." Bea felt a stab of pain hitting her heart. She slowly got up, walked away from the spectators. Tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
**********
Bea is once again on her way to the airport. Miguel is driving for her, this time with a wedding ring on his left finger.
"Hay, here we go again. I'm driving you to the airport. Kailan na naman kaya tao magkikita?"
"Ewan ko. Tell me something," her tone all too serious. "What was it that you love about Sugar? How did you know she was the one?" Miguel just smiled. "Dali na ano? Malay mo I need to decide in a couple of days diba?"
"You know what I love about her? The same things I loved about you before. The only difference is that she's not as ambitious as you are. When you left for New York two years ago, I knew I don't have a place in the life you've chosen. I don't blame you for that. You're good in your field and I thought to myself that it's your right to move on without me. Moving away was a decision you made for yourself. I know this sounds silly and you might nag me about it but I found the better version of you in Sugar.She's so much like you in so many ways but the only difference is she loves me more than you do."
She wanted to cry the tears she had kept as he witnessed him say his vows, but kept her composure. She just chuckled a laugh. How could he move on without her? Why was it easy for him and not for her? As she got off the car, she gave Miguel one last hug. This time she felt her heart heavy.
"I guess this is goodbye?" she told Miguel.
"Wait, I'm not letting you out until you answer question. Did Edward propose?"
Bea showed Miguel her left hand. In it was a one carat diamond solitaire ring set in platinum. "Yes." Miguel let out a sigh and congratulated her. As Miguel turned his gaze from the steering wheel to Bea's face, he saw a single tear fall from her right eye and then she said, "If it gives any consolation. Edward was the best version of you that I can find in New York."
Manila International Airport , 2:00 am. It's been two years since she had last seen the Manila International Airport . Not much has changed.Her last memory of this airport was when Miguel dropped her off. She was on her way to New York to pursue a career in Wall Street. "Promise me something will you? Please don't get married until I come back?" She jokingly told him as she lifted up her backpack. "LOL. Very funny. Ikaw ang mag-promise. Promise me you won't run off with some nerdy economist in the next two years."
"Let's see, shall we. Bye, Miguel. I'll call you as soon I get to New York." That was her last memory in this place. The warm Manila air made her feel a bit restless and yet she feels excited. This is the first time in two years she'll be seeing Miguel again. She was thoughtfully going through the immigration counters, thinking of how much she missed seeing Miguel. How different would he be now? Sure he sends her regular weekly e-mails and pictures but being the busy person that she had always been, she didn't get the time to chat with him and buy a webcam.
She's finally out. "Where is Miguel?" She wondered. "Ah there!" she exclaimed when she saw the silver gray Nissan Patrol parked near the exit. TGW926. Yup, that's Miguel alright. Her heart was leaping ahead of her as the driver got off. "Hey! I missed you!" He said, as he hugged her.
"I missed you too. So much." She said, as she hugged him back. It was warm. It felt good to be back. It felt great to feel his hug. "Let me get those." He said pointing at her luggage. "Then we'll have more time for hugging and chika."
"Okay."
Edsa, 4:30 am. Miguel's cellphone rings. Mama, the name flashes on the screen.
"You should really get that."
"No, you should get that. She's been waiting for you. She insist that we go straight to her after I pick you up form the airport. She also insist that you spend tomorrow with her." Miguel was talking about her mother. Miguel was an only child and his mother wanted a daughter. She would often tell Bea that since she doesn't have a mom anymore, she should let Tita Doris be her second mom. She loved Bea as if she were her own daughter.
"Hello? Yes, Tita. How are you nap po?... ah opo. Miguel already told me. Sige po. Okay po. I'll see you later." She turns off the phone and looks out the window. The phone rings again, this time the name "Sugar" flashes on the screen. Hmmm, "Sugar." He was quick. He got a hold of the phone and answered it. "Hello. Yeah. Pauwi na. I'm with her na. Yeah. Tomorrow, I will. Promise. We'll see you tomorrow."
We? Is that supposed to mean me and him? See Sugar? Who is Sugar, anyway? "Who was that?" she couldn't keep herself from asking. "Sugar ha?"
"I'll introduce her tomorrow. Uwi muna tayo sa bahay. By the way, kamusta na si Edward?" "Edward?"
"Oo, si Edward, naalala mo yung boyfriend na iniwan mo sa New York ? Anong klase ka ba naming girlfriend? Kaya hindi kita niligawan eh. Baka makalimutan mo rin ako."
"Ah si Edward. Hayun. Nasa New York ." Miguel has met Edward when he came to New York to give Bea a surprise visit. He seems a nice guy. Not the geeky economist Miguel pictured Bea would end up with. He is actually a cool guy and loves Bea a lot.
"He called me up, a week ago, asking a lot of things about you. Parang may balak ata?"
"Balak na?" "Tell me, did he propose to you? He sounded like he was going to propose to you kasi." "Ah look, here we are at Tita Doris."
At Tita Doris', 4:45 am. A pleasantly plump woman enters the living room. She was in her mid-fifties, a familiar warm smile and two open arms. She welcomed Bea, gave her a big hug and kissed her on the cheek. "Hay anak, kamusta ka na? Na-miss na kita. Pinakain ka ba nito si Miguel?"
"Opo, Tita." She looked around. Not much has changed in this house. She remembers spending her college days in this house. She remembers sinking into Tita Doris' arms when her mom died. She remembers only good things about this woman. She can't remember a time when she had been unkind to her and yes, she loves her like her own mother.
"Iha, sabihan mo nga yang si Miguel. Sabihin mo 'wag padalos-dalos magdesisyon. "
"Po?"
"Mama naman. Let Bea rest. I'll tell her everything tomorrow." Miguel interrupted his mother before she can spill the beans.
"Ha? What was that all about?" Bea was curious.
"Bukas na lang."
"Okay. Tita, if it's okay I'll go rest now." She hugged her, and proceeded to climb the stairs. Miguel followed her carrying her luggage.
"Alam mo I missed this house. Uy sino ba si Sugar? Tsaka bakit parang worried nanay mo sa iyo?"
"Bukas na. Sugar is having lunch here."
"Hmmm, intriguing, pero sige. Bukas na." They were both standing as the door to the guest room. "Alam mo, it's really good to be back in this house. I'll see you tomorrow."
Tita Doris' 10:00 am. She woke up, sunlight flooding her bedroom. She was able to rest. She got up, arranged the bed sheets and took a nice, cold shower. Minutes later, she was down at the garden having brunch with Tita Doris.
"Hi! Tita. Where is Miguel?"
"Sinundo si Sugar."
"Sino ba yang Sugar na yan? Nai-intriga na ako."
"Iha, I'll let Miguel tell you who Sugar is. Promise me something, though. Whatever happens you'll always be my daughter, Bea?"
She felt scared. Why was Tita Doris suddenly serious? "Opo naman."
"Anyway, iha. I heard from Miguel your boyfriend sounded like he was going to propose a week ago. Did he propose?"
Bea looked at her hands, bare of any engagement ring. She looked at Tita Doris and smiled. Before she could answer, Miguel showed up. With him is a woman she had not seen before. She was of medium frame, shoulder length hair and looked very feminine.
"Sugar, the sister I never had, Bea. Bea, Sugar, my fiance`." It felt as if somebody had thrown cold water on her. His what? Blood rushed to her head.She blushed. Her cheeks felt very warm. She couldn't swallow. Her heart beating a hundred beats per minute.
"Your what?" She looked at Miguel, blushing then suddenly white as with shock. "I'm sorry, Sugar but this is quite a surprise. Miguel has never mentioned you in any of his e-mails," she said as she looked at Sugar with a confused look. She looked at Tita Doris, she looked back as if she was consoling her.
"Yeah, I got engaged. I'm keeping my promise. I'm getting married on Saturday. O di ba you're here so in essence I've kept my promise."
She managed to smile faintly. She hugged Miguel and congratulated him.She even managed to tell Sugar "You got a catch here, girl. Take good care of him or else I will snatch him under your nose." It sounded as if she was just joking, turning over a very important possession to it's next owner. In the deepest recesses of her person, she knew she meant it. "He told me a lot of nice things about you." Sugar said, smiling at her as if they had been friends for the longest time.
"I'm sure he has."
Lunch was served. All of Bea's favorite Filipino dishes. She and Sugar spent time chatting the afternoon away, looking at Bea's and Miguel's college photos and yearbooks. She found out that Sugar likes most of the things she does. They both came from the same high school. As she tried to get to know Sugar better during their afternoon chat, she realized that not only was she perfect for Miguel, she also seemed like the best gal pal Bea could find. They talked about the wedding details, the dress, the ring, the shoes, the tiara. They like almost the same places, the same styles, the same shops. She told Sugar they should do shopping marathon together. Had it been another day, she would be telling herself that this is really a great opportunity to find someone who understands her shopping needs.Except that this is not one of those days? Except that this woman, this perfect, feminine girlfriend was Miguel's fiance`.
Bea's phone rings. The name Boyfriend flashes.
"You should really get that" Sugar told Bea.
"Yeah, I guess I should. Hello? Yes? I'm good. I'm here at Miguel's. Oh have in front of me Sugar, Miguel's fiance`." The words almost got stuck in her throat, but she still managed to give Sugar a smile. "Listen, I'll call you later. I have very good news for you."
Miguel sat down beside Bea. Sugar was looking at them and asked "So tell me? Was there never a time the two of you were more than Platonic?" Bea and Miguel looked at each other then looked at their own hands. Miguel's gaze turned to Sugar. He answered "Of course not. Bea and I were never like that." "As in?" Sugar inquired. "LOL, oo naman. She was a handful. Too much to handle for me. I can't keep up with her. She's never stands still." Miguel looked at Bea and smiled, his eyes turning into slits as his dimples gloriously show.
"I guess that's the way for you. But not for Edward." Bea replied, with a little hint of disappointment. "Okay lang yun. Edward is tough enough." Miguel was still smiling.
"Wait, speaking of Edward. I need to call him."
Bea left the garden and went up to her room to call Edward. "Hello? Edward. Here goes. Yes. The answer is Yes."
*********
The wedding went well. It was one of the most elegant weddings she had seen. Sugar had everything covered and she was a very beautiful, blushing bride. "I, Miguel, take you, Sugar, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, love what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us." Bea felt a stab of pain hitting her heart. She slowly got up, walked away from the spectators. Tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
**********
Bea is once again on her way to the airport. Miguel is driving for her, this time with a wedding ring on his left finger.
"Hay, here we go again. I'm driving you to the airport. Kailan na naman kaya tao magkikita?"
"Ewan ko. Tell me something," her tone all too serious. "What was it that you love about Sugar? How did you know she was the one?" Miguel just smiled. "Dali na ano? Malay mo I need to decide in a couple of days diba?"
"You know what I love about her? The same things I loved about you before. The only difference is that she's not as ambitious as you are. When you left for New York two years ago, I knew I don't have a place in the life you've chosen. I don't blame you for that. You're good in your field and I thought to myself that it's your right to move on without me. Moving away was a decision you made for yourself. I know this sounds silly and you might nag me about it but I found the better version of you in Sugar.She's so much like you in so many ways but the only difference is she loves me more than you do."
She wanted to cry the tears she had kept as he witnessed him say his vows, but kept her composure. She just chuckled a laugh. How could he move on without her? Why was it easy for him and not for her? As she got off the car, she gave Miguel one last hug. This time she felt her heart heavy.
"I guess this is goodbye?" she told Miguel.
"Wait, I'm not letting you out until you answer question. Did Edward propose?"
Bea showed Miguel her left hand. In it was a one carat diamond solitaire ring set in platinum. "Yes." Miguel let out a sigh and congratulated her. As Miguel turned his gaze from the steering wheel to Bea's face, he saw a single tear fall from her right eye and then she said, "If it gives any consolation. Edward was the best version of you that I can find in New York."
Meantime Girl
She's the one you call when you're bored because she makes you laugh. She's the one you talk to when you're feeling down because she's willing to lend an ear and be a friend. She's not the one you call when you need a date to your company's Christmas party, or to go dancing with on a Saturday night. She's the one you spend time with between girlfriends, before you find 'The One'. You know, the one you keep in the MEANTIME.
She's not one of the guys, not a tomboy, but you don't look at her as a "real" woman, either. She's not bitchy enough, moody enough, or sexy enough to be seen in the light. She's too laid-back, too easily amused by the same things your male buddies are amused by. She's too understanding, too comfortable. Doesn't make you feel nervous or excited the way a 'real' woman does. But she's cool, nice and funny, and attractive enough that when you're lonely and need intimate female companionship, she'll do just fine.
You don't have to wine and dine her because she knows the real you already, and you don't have any facades to keep up, no pretense to preserve. You're not trying to get anything of substance out of her. She's not easy, but you know that she cares about you and is attracted to you. And you know that you don't have to explain yourself or the situation, that she'll be able to cope with the fact that this isn't the beginning of a relationship or that there's any possiblity that you have any real romantic feelings for her.
It won't bother her that you'll get up in the morning, put on your pants, say goodbye, and go on a date with the woman you've been mooning over for weeks who finally agreed to go out with you. She'll settle for a goodbye hug and a promise to call her and tell her how the date went. She's just so cool.. why can't all women be like that?!
But deep down, if you really think about it (which you probably don't.. because to you, the situation between the two of you isn't important enough to merit any real thought) you know that it's really not fair.
You know that although she would never say it, it hurts her to know that despite all her good points and all the fun you two have, you don't think she's good enough to spend any real time with. Sure, it'smostly her fault, because she doesn't have to give in to your needs - she could really play hard-to-get. Bitch like the rest of them do, if she really wanted to. But you and she both know that she probably couldn't pull it off. Maybe she's too short, or a little overweight, or has big birthmark on her forehead, or works at Taco Bell, or just really not that type.
Whatever the reason, somehow life has given her a lot of really great qualities but has left out the ones that men want (or think they want) in a woman. So she remains forever the funny friend, the steadfast companion, the secret lover, and you go on searching for your goddess who will somehow be everything you ever wanted in a woman.
You'll joke to her that she should be the best man at your wedding, and she'll laugh and make a joke about a smelly rental tux.
She doesn't captivate you with her beauty, or open doors with her smile.
Mainly, she blends in with the crowd. She's safe. She doesn't want to be the center of attention and turn the heads of everyone in the room. But she wants to turn someone's head. She wants to be SPECIAL to someone, too. We all do.
She has feelings. She has heart. In fact, she probably has a bigger heart than any woman you've ever known because she's had a front-row seat to The Mess That Is Your Life, and she likes you anyway.
She obviously sees something worthwhile and redeeming in you because although you've given her nothing, absolutely no reason to still be around, she is.
- Anonymous
She's not one of the guys, not a tomboy, but you don't look at her as a "real" woman, either. She's not bitchy enough, moody enough, or sexy enough to be seen in the light. She's too laid-back, too easily amused by the same things your male buddies are amused by. She's too understanding, too comfortable. Doesn't make you feel nervous or excited the way a 'real' woman does. But she's cool, nice and funny, and attractive enough that when you're lonely and need intimate female companionship, she'll do just fine.
You don't have to wine and dine her because she knows the real you already, and you don't have any facades to keep up, no pretense to preserve. You're not trying to get anything of substance out of her. She's not easy, but you know that she cares about you and is attracted to you. And you know that you don't have to explain yourself or the situation, that she'll be able to cope with the fact that this isn't the beginning of a relationship or that there's any possiblity that you have any real romantic feelings for her.
It won't bother her that you'll get up in the morning, put on your pants, say goodbye, and go on a date with the woman you've been mooning over for weeks who finally agreed to go out with you. She'll settle for a goodbye hug and a promise to call her and tell her how the date went. She's just so cool.. why can't all women be like that?!
But deep down, if you really think about it (which you probably don't.. because to you, the situation between the two of you isn't important enough to merit any real thought) you know that it's really not fair.
You know that although she would never say it, it hurts her to know that despite all her good points and all the fun you two have, you don't think she's good enough to spend any real time with. Sure, it'smostly her fault, because she doesn't have to give in to your needs - she could really play hard-to-get. Bitch like the rest of them do, if she really wanted to. But you and she both know that she probably couldn't pull it off. Maybe she's too short, or a little overweight, or has big birthmark on her forehead, or works at Taco Bell, or just really not that type.
Whatever the reason, somehow life has given her a lot of really great qualities but has left out the ones that men want (or think they want) in a woman. So she remains forever the funny friend, the steadfast companion, the secret lover, and you go on searching for your goddess who will somehow be everything you ever wanted in a woman.
You'll joke to her that she should be the best man at your wedding, and she'll laugh and make a joke about a smelly rental tux.
She doesn't captivate you with her beauty, or open doors with her smile.
Mainly, she blends in with the crowd. She's safe. She doesn't want to be the center of attention and turn the heads of everyone in the room. But she wants to turn someone's head. She wants to be SPECIAL to someone, too. We all do.
She has feelings. She has heart. In fact, she probably has a bigger heart than any woman you've ever known because she's had a front-row seat to The Mess That Is Your Life, and she likes you anyway.
She obviously sees something worthwhile and redeeming in you because although you've given her nothing, absolutely no reason to still be around, she is.
- Anonymous
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Super Mario Proposal
In the guy's own words:
My nerdy way to propose. On October 15th 2009, it was our 5 year anniversary so I decided to propose. Using a program called Lunar Magic I was able to spell "Lisa... Will you marry me?" She may not look too surprised in the video but you should have seen her afterwards, she couldn't sit still!!! And no it wasn't staged, but I did sit her down, told her to play some Super Mario World, but she totally didn't know she was being recorded!!
My nerdy way to propose. On October 15th 2009, it was our 5 year anniversary so I decided to propose. Using a program called Lunar Magic I was able to spell "Lisa... Will you marry me?" She may not look too surprised in the video but you should have seen her afterwards, she couldn't sit still!!! And no it wasn't staged, but I did sit her down, told her to play some Super Mario World, but she totally didn't know she was being recorded!!
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Marriage Proposal Trailer
When it comes to effort and money poured into a proposal, this must top all the others out there. The guy's explanation in his own words:
I have know my fiancée Tracey Wade for over 14 years and wanted to propose to her in a very unique way. Tracey thought we were just going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon. Little did she know, I had rented the entire theater and filled it with 160 of our friends and family. I made it seem as though we were showing up a little late to the movie and went in to the theater after the lights had gone down and the movie trailers were already playing. This was done to keep her from recognizing anyone in the theater. What I had done was make an entire movie trailer that had actors portraying both Tracey and I at different times in our lives, both present day and in the future. After a few trailers played including one for Lord of the Rings the one I had made started. Tracey thought it was just another trailer for a movie soon to be released. Tracey was just perplexed as to how many different things had similarities to our relationship, she kept nudging me throughout the trailer. Tracey had no idea this was a marriage proposal until the last three seconds of the trailer.
Nine months earlier in September of 2006 I started by hiring a professional production team, securing two and a half million dollars worth of film equipment (THANK YOU PANAVISION), and writing a script that would show what would go through someone's mind (Tracey's) if they were about to die. It is said "moments before you die your life flashes right before your eyes". JUST A NOTE: Ever since Tracey was a young girl, she has had a reoccurring dream that she was going to die in a plane crash. Actors were cast to portray both Tracey and I at different times in our lives (twenty years in the future as well as present day).
The explanations of the flashbacks are as follows:
HORSE JUMPING - Tracey has been an avid equestrian her entire life, both competing and teaching professionally. The location that we filmed, was the exact location Tracey won in, back in 2006.
DODGER STADIUM - Tracey and I have season tickets to the Dodgers. We both grew up in L.A. and are big baseball fans.
SKYDIVING - On Tracey's fathers 70th birthday we both went skydiving for the first time. The plane in the trailer is the same plane we jumped out of in real life. The actress portraying Tracey even wore the same jumpsuit.
KITE FLYING - This was filmed in the exact location Tracey and I have flown a kite before.
FISHING - When Tracey and I fell in love; we were down in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. One of our greatest memories in Mexico was chartering a boat and going marlin fishing. In the movie trailer both actors were wearing the exact same clothes, both Tracey and I were wearing when we went fishing. As a side note this scene was actually shot on location down in Cabo San Lucas.
RUNNING ON THE BEACH - Tracey and I had one of our best days ever on this exact beach near San Diego.
SAILING - I own a sailboat. Both Tracey and I love sailing. The exterior shot was not my boat, but the closes up shots were actually filmed on my sailboat.
AIRIAL SHOT OF BEACH AND HOTEL - This was the actual place we stayed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It is our very favorite place. Tracey always thought I might one day ask her to marry her there.
PROPOSAL LOCATION - Same hotel as mentioned above. This one area at the hotel was our very favorite spot.
SHE SAID YES!!
I have know my fiancée Tracey Wade for over 14 years and wanted to propose to her in a very unique way. Tracey thought we were just going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon. Little did she know, I had rented the entire theater and filled it with 160 of our friends and family. I made it seem as though we were showing up a little late to the movie and went in to the theater after the lights had gone down and the movie trailers were already playing. This was done to keep her from recognizing anyone in the theater. What I had done was make an entire movie trailer that had actors portraying both Tracey and I at different times in our lives, both present day and in the future. After a few trailers played including one for Lord of the Rings the one I had made started. Tracey thought it was just another trailer for a movie soon to be released. Tracey was just perplexed as to how many different things had similarities to our relationship, she kept nudging me throughout the trailer. Tracey had no idea this was a marriage proposal until the last three seconds of the trailer.
Nine months earlier in September of 2006 I started by hiring a professional production team, securing two and a half million dollars worth of film equipment (THANK YOU PANAVISION), and writing a script that would show what would go through someone's mind (Tracey's) if they were about to die. It is said "moments before you die your life flashes right before your eyes". JUST A NOTE: Ever since Tracey was a young girl, she has had a reoccurring dream that she was going to die in a plane crash. Actors were cast to portray both Tracey and I at different times in our lives (twenty years in the future as well as present day).
The explanations of the flashbacks are as follows:
HORSE JUMPING - Tracey has been an avid equestrian her entire life, both competing and teaching professionally. The location that we filmed, was the exact location Tracey won in, back in 2006.
DODGER STADIUM - Tracey and I have season tickets to the Dodgers. We both grew up in L.A. and are big baseball fans.
SKYDIVING - On Tracey's fathers 70th birthday we both went skydiving for the first time. The plane in the trailer is the same plane we jumped out of in real life. The actress portraying Tracey even wore the same jumpsuit.
KITE FLYING - This was filmed in the exact location Tracey and I have flown a kite before.
FISHING - When Tracey and I fell in love; we were down in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. One of our greatest memories in Mexico was chartering a boat and going marlin fishing. In the movie trailer both actors were wearing the exact same clothes, both Tracey and I were wearing when we went fishing. As a side note this scene was actually shot on location down in Cabo San Lucas.
RUNNING ON THE BEACH - Tracey and I had one of our best days ever on this exact beach near San Diego.
SAILING - I own a sailboat. Both Tracey and I love sailing. The exterior shot was not my boat, but the closes up shots were actually filmed on my sailboat.
AIRIAL SHOT OF BEACH AND HOTEL - This was the actual place we stayed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It is our very favorite place. Tracey always thought I might one day ask her to marry her there.
PROPOSAL LOCATION - Same hotel as mentioned above. This one area at the hotel was our very favorite spot.
SHE SAID YES!!
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
For Whom Do We Live?
A sad commercial.
We often ask, why are we alive? What were we born for? Maybe those questions cannot not be answered but this instead: for whom do we live?
We often ask, why are we alive? What were we born for? Maybe those questions cannot not be answered but this instead: for whom do we live?
Dennis and Mandy's Love Story
I don't know them. I just found their video on YouTube and got hooked on their love story. In Mandy's words (taken from their wedding site):
The Beginning
Our story is one that can only be described as serendipitous. I was working out at the gym with a friend of mine who was always going out on dates. I asked her where she was meeting all these guys. She informed me that she was using one of the online dating sites. I sort of cringed because I had some previous experiences with online dating and it was...well..."unsuccessful." She said, "Just try it out." Since I had nothing to lose, I went on to 2 different sites and created profiles. I did some browsing on one of the sites and only found 3 or 4 guys that I found remotely cute or interesting. One of them I thought was VERY cute but he hadn't been on the site in months. I shot him a flirt anyway. On the other site I found numerous people that I connected with, and communicated with. One of these gentlemen and I hit it off quickly with some great conversation, but had some trouble nailing down a date to go out and meet face to face.
A few days later, I was back at the gym, although I was working this time. (I worked at the front desk to earn some extra cash while I was getting my Masters degree.) I started talking to one of the regular couples I saw on the weekends. As the conversation went on, the wife (Michelle) said to me, "I have a friend who would be great for you! Would you mind if I gave him your contact info?" I gave her my info, and went about my day. Later that night I was finally able to nail down a date with the guy from the Internet. We went out that night and had a really good time. It was the next day that Michelle's friend left me a voicemail, which I did not respond to since I wanted to see where this new relationship was going. A few days later I got an email from her friend too, which I also did not respond to.
That weekend I ran into Michelle again at the gym who asked if I had called her friend. When I told her the situation she said I should at least call to let him know. That evening, I sat down to make the 10 second "Thanks but no thanks" phone call and ended up talking to Dennis for 45 minutes. He was very respectful of my decision to pursue the other relationship, and we had a great conversation anyway. He sent me an email afterwards asking to remain in touch because, "you can never have too many friends." We did remain in touch via many emails. I was intrigued by the immediate sense of comfort I felt talking to Dennis.
During that initial phone conversation, Dennis mentioned to me that he really did not like the blind-date/fix-up scene, nor did he like online dating. That said, he told me the following story: On the morning I was talking to Michelle at the gym, Dennis was at home making airline reservations. He had been put on hold and was checking email while he waited. He received a spam message from one of the dating websites and decided that since he had nothing better to do -- it was 7:30 on a Sunday morning -- he would go browse. He went onto the site, put in his preferences and browsed through 7 pages of profiles before he found one woman he found attractive. He read the profile, and just as he finished, the airline representative came back on the phone. He closed out of the site and forgot about it. Later that morning Michelle called Dennis. She told him she knew how he felt about blind dates but had met a great girl that she thought would be perfect for him. "Let me tell you about her before you say no," she said. She proceeded to explain where I had gone to school, what I did after graduation, and that I was currently working on my Masters in teaching. Dennis said that he sat in silence because this sounded too familiar. He asked if she was near her computer. She said she was, so he told her to go to the website he had been on and look up the profile he had found. He sat waiting and the next thing her heard was "Oh my gosh! That's her." Dennis said that without that weird coincidence, he probably would not have called me.
About a week after our initial phone conversation, I got an email from Dennis telling me that he had another interesting story for me. He said once again that, although he knows it works for many people, he did not believe in online dating. However, one of his friends said Dennis needed to put himself out there more to meet women so his friend set up a profile on a dating site for him. Dennis said he never checked the account but got occasional emails that informed him he had mail in his inbox that was about to expire. He had just received one such email. After checking it, he found a flirt from a user named Mermandy whose description and profile matched the one he had read on the other website previously, so he knew it was me. I asked what his user name was, and it turned out that the one flirt I had sent to the "VERY cute guy" who hadn't logged in months was sent to the man I was now talking to. Now I was thinking a little more about him.
Soon thereafter, the guy I had started dating and I had a falling out that ended our relationship. Later that day, I was at my computer responding to one of Dennis' emails and told him that my day had been pretty bad because the guy I was seeing had stood me up. No more than 30 seconds had passed after I sent the email, and a response popped up on my screen. Strange that he was on at the exact same moment, but what made it even more interesting was that he happened to be in Italy at the time. He asked me if the "WAS SEEING" was a typo. I replied that it was not. Again, no more than 30 seconds passed when my cell phone rang. Dennis was calling from Italy! We spoke for about 40 minutes!
It was hard to ignore that there were 3 completely separate events that had caused our paths to cross. I am a big believer in signs and things happening for a reason. This was a MAJOR sign! I was hooked. We made plans to meet when he returned from Europe about a week later. The evening we met was incredible. We talked until 3 am as though we had known each other for years. Since that day we have been together and are now engaged, which leads to...
The Engagement
It was a moment straight from a fairy tale!
It is July 21, 2007 and we are in Paris for a short layover before heading to Italy. It is also the day Harry Potter 7 is released. Dennis told me he had made reservations for dinner at The Jules Verne restaurant on the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant required a blazer which Dennis had to carry in his backpack all day since I was not going to carry it, though I usually carry everything else. In the early part of the morning, we walked by the Eiffel Tower and saw there was no line, so I dragged Dennis to the top. Once there, he informed me that he had a gift that was going to shock me. My immediate thought was "Oh my gosh! He's going to propose!" Then I remembered that he said he would never propose overseas. Then I thought, "Oh my gosh He got me Harry Potter!" Sure enough, Dennis pulled a present out of his bag the size of a book. I ripped open the paper and saw "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." I was elated but very confused since it had come out at midnight the evening prior and we had been together ever since. I flipped through the book to try to make some sense of the quandary I was in and found the middle had been cut out. Nestled in the center was a video iPod. I asked if it was a book on tape, somewhat distraught that he had ruined my book. Dennis snickered, said no, and plugged in 2 sets of headphones. (He later informed me he had gotten an advance copy of only the cover and had used an old copy of the 5th Harry Potter book to cut up.) He turned on the iPod, and I proceeded to watch the most amazing photo montage set to our song.
There was a letter super-imposed on the photos talking about our relationship and how he was done looking and ready to begin his journey through life with me as his wife. He then got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. Through tears and complete shock, I sobbed "Yes, of course!" People around us were from all over the world but all of them began clapping, cheering and taking photos. It was amazing!
On the way down from the top, Dennis told me that he had wanted to do this later because it was 4 am in the States, so I couldn't call anyone at home. Oh well. Later that afternoon I began making phone calls. First to my parents who were not at home and then to my brother and best friends. Dinner time rolled around and I still had not reached my parents. I said that I would call them after dinner in hopes to find them available. We went into the restaurant (not the Jules Verne which had been a ploy) and gave them our name. They led us around towards the back of the restaurant where, to my disbelief, my parents and Dennis' parents were sitting at the table waiting for us. I was speechless, but it was exactly the way I wanted to share one of the most amazing and special moments of my life!
The Beginning
Our story is one that can only be described as serendipitous. I was working out at the gym with a friend of mine who was always going out on dates. I asked her where she was meeting all these guys. She informed me that she was using one of the online dating sites. I sort of cringed because I had some previous experiences with online dating and it was...well..."unsuccessful." She said, "Just try it out." Since I had nothing to lose, I went on to 2 different sites and created profiles. I did some browsing on one of the sites and only found 3 or 4 guys that I found remotely cute or interesting. One of them I thought was VERY cute but he hadn't been on the site in months. I shot him a flirt anyway. On the other site I found numerous people that I connected with, and communicated with. One of these gentlemen and I hit it off quickly with some great conversation, but had some trouble nailing down a date to go out and meet face to face.
A few days later, I was back at the gym, although I was working this time. (I worked at the front desk to earn some extra cash while I was getting my Masters degree.) I started talking to one of the regular couples I saw on the weekends. As the conversation went on, the wife (Michelle) said to me, "I have a friend who would be great for you! Would you mind if I gave him your contact info?" I gave her my info, and went about my day. Later that night I was finally able to nail down a date with the guy from the Internet. We went out that night and had a really good time. It was the next day that Michelle's friend left me a voicemail, which I did not respond to since I wanted to see where this new relationship was going. A few days later I got an email from her friend too, which I also did not respond to.
That weekend I ran into Michelle again at the gym who asked if I had called her friend. When I told her the situation she said I should at least call to let him know. That evening, I sat down to make the 10 second "Thanks but no thanks" phone call and ended up talking to Dennis for 45 minutes. He was very respectful of my decision to pursue the other relationship, and we had a great conversation anyway. He sent me an email afterwards asking to remain in touch because, "you can never have too many friends." We did remain in touch via many emails. I was intrigued by the immediate sense of comfort I felt talking to Dennis.
During that initial phone conversation, Dennis mentioned to me that he really did not like the blind-date/fix-up scene, nor did he like online dating. That said, he told me the following story: On the morning I was talking to Michelle at the gym, Dennis was at home making airline reservations. He had been put on hold and was checking email while he waited. He received a spam message from one of the dating websites and decided that since he had nothing better to do -- it was 7:30 on a Sunday morning -- he would go browse. He went onto the site, put in his preferences and browsed through 7 pages of profiles before he found one woman he found attractive. He read the profile, and just as he finished, the airline representative came back on the phone. He closed out of the site and forgot about it. Later that morning Michelle called Dennis. She told him she knew how he felt about blind dates but had met a great girl that she thought would be perfect for him. "Let me tell you about her before you say no," she said. She proceeded to explain where I had gone to school, what I did after graduation, and that I was currently working on my Masters in teaching. Dennis said that he sat in silence because this sounded too familiar. He asked if she was near her computer. She said she was, so he told her to go to the website he had been on and look up the profile he had found. He sat waiting and the next thing her heard was "Oh my gosh! That's her." Dennis said that without that weird coincidence, he probably would not have called me.
About a week after our initial phone conversation, I got an email from Dennis telling me that he had another interesting story for me. He said once again that, although he knows it works for many people, he did not believe in online dating. However, one of his friends said Dennis needed to put himself out there more to meet women so his friend set up a profile on a dating site for him. Dennis said he never checked the account but got occasional emails that informed him he had mail in his inbox that was about to expire. He had just received one such email. After checking it, he found a flirt from a user named Mermandy whose description and profile matched the one he had read on the other website previously, so he knew it was me. I asked what his user name was, and it turned out that the one flirt I had sent to the "VERY cute guy" who hadn't logged in months was sent to the man I was now talking to. Now I was thinking a little more about him.
Soon thereafter, the guy I had started dating and I had a falling out that ended our relationship. Later that day, I was at my computer responding to one of Dennis' emails and told him that my day had been pretty bad because the guy I was seeing had stood me up. No more than 30 seconds had passed after I sent the email, and a response popped up on my screen. Strange that he was on at the exact same moment, but what made it even more interesting was that he happened to be in Italy at the time. He asked me if the "WAS SEEING" was a typo. I replied that it was not. Again, no more than 30 seconds passed when my cell phone rang. Dennis was calling from Italy! We spoke for about 40 minutes!
It was hard to ignore that there were 3 completely separate events that had caused our paths to cross. I am a big believer in signs and things happening for a reason. This was a MAJOR sign! I was hooked. We made plans to meet when he returned from Europe about a week later. The evening we met was incredible. We talked until 3 am as though we had known each other for years. Since that day we have been together and are now engaged, which leads to...
The Engagement
It was a moment straight from a fairy tale!
It is July 21, 2007 and we are in Paris for a short layover before heading to Italy. It is also the day Harry Potter 7 is released. Dennis told me he had made reservations for dinner at The Jules Verne restaurant on the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant required a blazer which Dennis had to carry in his backpack all day since I was not going to carry it, though I usually carry everything else. In the early part of the morning, we walked by the Eiffel Tower and saw there was no line, so I dragged Dennis to the top. Once there, he informed me that he had a gift that was going to shock me. My immediate thought was "Oh my gosh! He's going to propose!" Then I remembered that he said he would never propose overseas. Then I thought, "Oh my gosh He got me Harry Potter!" Sure enough, Dennis pulled a present out of his bag the size of a book. I ripped open the paper and saw "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." I was elated but very confused since it had come out at midnight the evening prior and we had been together ever since. I flipped through the book to try to make some sense of the quandary I was in and found the middle had been cut out. Nestled in the center was a video iPod. I asked if it was a book on tape, somewhat distraught that he had ruined my book. Dennis snickered, said no, and plugged in 2 sets of headphones. (He later informed me he had gotten an advance copy of only the cover and had used an old copy of the 5th Harry Potter book to cut up.) He turned on the iPod, and I proceeded to watch the most amazing photo montage set to our song.
There was a letter super-imposed on the photos talking about our relationship and how he was done looking and ready to begin his journey through life with me as his wife. He then got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. Through tears and complete shock, I sobbed "Yes, of course!" People around us were from all over the world but all of them began clapping, cheering and taking photos. It was amazing!
On the way down from the top, Dennis told me that he had wanted to do this later because it was 4 am in the States, so I couldn't call anyone at home. Oh well. Later that afternoon I began making phone calls. First to my parents who were not at home and then to my brother and best friends. Dinner time rolled around and I still had not reached my parents. I said that I would call them after dinner in hopes to find them available. We went into the restaurant (not the Jules Verne which had been a ploy) and gave them our name. They led us around towards the back of the restaurant where, to my disbelief, my parents and Dennis' parents were sitting at the table waiting for us. I was speechless, but it was exactly the way I wanted to share one of the most amazing and special moments of my life!
Together at Last
This is a really cute engagement video made by WongFu Productions for their friends Eddie and Sarah. They have a great story. Eddie lived in LA, Sarah lived in Taipei. For 5 years they had to deal with this distance in their relationship, always having to fly back and forth. Finally, the two are Together At Last.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
10 Years in 6 Minutes Wedding Narrative
It's on Facebook so it can't be embedded, but it's the cutest wedding video ever. Instead of just your typical collection of pre-nuptial shots, the couple's love story was narrated and acted out like a TV show. Every couple should have one!
Though adapted, a lot of elements were taken from the couple's true life account. This is Moomedia's first official MV shot almost entirely on the 5DmkII. Click here to view in HD. The performances by the extras are fictitious and in good fun.
Though adapted, a lot of elements were taken from the couple's true life account. This is Moomedia's first official MV shot almost entirely on the 5DmkII. Click here to view in HD. The performances by the extras are fictitious and in good fun.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Why the Wedding Ring is Worn on Fourth Finger
An interesting explanation as to why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger.