Got this from Kryz Uy's post. I find it a bit relatable (except the being wealthy part), so I thought I'd do the same.
4 years later...
Our marriage so far:
I know it's already a week late for this. But just in case you are wondering if Jan and I are still okay because I have not posted anything on our anniversary—which is very unusual because I do it every single year—yes, we are okay. Very much okay.
It's just that, I TOTALLY forgot about the date. When Jan greeted me, my first reaction was, "was that today?" Haha. I am always the bad guy in this relationship. Plus, I did not have a single second to spare to write about it.
But to make up for it, I decided to dance to Zack Tabudlo's Habang Buhay.
 |
| Click here for full video. |
2021 took so many twists and turns. But despite the grey skies that have been looming since 2020 that honestly seems like a hundred years ago, there have been those little ray of lights that seeped through from time to time. And as this year comes to a close, I would like to express my gratitude to all the people and the small wins that helped me get where I currently am: happy and contented.
I am and will always grateful for having a loving family (including my in-laws), my maka-ugtas but adorable sons (plus our baby girl on the way), supportive friends, and the selfless frontliners among others. But for this post, I am giving the spotlight to the husband, Jan.
I know, I know. If I write about him one more time, makasuka na. But I cannot help it. Taking care of a toddler while pregnant, losing my passion, unable to travel and destress, and having no job to keep me preoccupied during this pandemic would make me lose my shit. But I didn't. And that's mostly because of him.
So here are 21 reasons why I am grateful to the husband who makes my life happier, easier, and sweeter:
1. He chose me. He always chooses me first. And I know he would choose me over anything or anyone over and over again.
2. He makes situations a little harder on himself in hopes that it makes them easier for me. Like how he gets up in the middle of the night to put our baby back to sleep and drags himself to work the next day. Or how he does the laundry, washes the dishes, or cleans the house just so I can rest (and without complaints at that).
3. He is so protective of our family. I mean, not just physically. I feel secured and sheltered from verbal attacks, criticisms, and judgment from other people, should there be any. He's the type who would avoid conflicts at any cost but I have seen him bravely speak up when the situation calls for it.
4. He patiently puts up with things that I like that do not interest him. Books I have read, Harry Potter, football, and even Pinoy showbiz. Likewise, I pretend to understand stuff he can't stop yapping about. Boxing/MMA, NBA, DotA2, or Astrophysics. 😁
5. He is a very good provider. He works hard. But even so, he can make time to take me out on a date even if it means just doing errands together or eating takeout at a parking lot.
 |
| Nevermind his butas-butas shirt. |
6. He makes me the best sunny-side up. He makes me coffee (pre-prego days) and sandwich every morning. He always has something for me every time he comes home. He gives me the last bite, the best part, or sometimes, the whole thing.
7. He is my #1 fan. There had been multiple occasions whenever I meet his friends for the first time and I get surprised how much they already knew about me, my blog and achievements, my job, my skills and talents, and places we've been to because he had spoken highly of me. I know he is proud that I am his wife as I am proud to be his wife.
8. He is a man of his word. He has always kept his promises. He is true to his vows.
 |
| And yes, I have no doubts to hold on to this. 😊 |
9. He pays attention to all the things I say and do. He can easily figure me out that even without dropping a hint, he knows what I am thinking, what I want, what I need, and what would make me happy.
10. He makes me laugh. I know a lot of people will have reservations about him being hilarious, but I swear, he can pry my mind open and he knows where it tickles.
11. He has never insulted nor raised his voice at me. Whenever I get overly dramatic (which usually escalates into a fight he is unaware of 😅😅😅), he chooses his words carefully and pens heartfelt letters so as not to hurt my feelings brought about by hormonal overdrive.
 |
| And I love reading them. |
12. He has a ginormous amount of patience. He has never been seriously angry with me. At all. Ever.
13. He doesn't like those cheesy Backstreet Boys, Westlife, and other boyband songs but he plays them while he is working or during long drives, and even sings with me because he knows I love them.
14. He gives me kisses, hugs from behind, and relaxing massages randomly. And I love it!
15. I know EVERYBODY who knew him will agree how selfless and kind-hearted he is (I'm 100% on this). Imagine being close to someone like that, much more being a wife.
16. He supports all my dreams and ambitions no matter how absurd they all seem to be. He believes in me more than I believe in myself. And he pushes me to be better. In fact, I began getting all those recognitions and achievements when we started being together. He is both my critic and inspiration.
17. He is a doting dad.
18. He shows the best example for our children. I can already see the kind of husband our sons will become and I don't have to worry what kind of husband our daughter will marry. He sets the bar high for them.
19. When I am frustrated with my tasks or when motherhood gets the best of me or when shit happens, he comforts me even if all he could do is throw his arms around me and keep me close to his chest. He is my sanctuary.
20. He is never good at fault-finding. He never really did. I know I have a lot of shortcomings, but he has never brought it up during our conflicts and arguments. He corrects but he never counts. He is so forgiving.
21. He loves me for me! Even if I look like a terrier, a raccoon, a porcupine, or a shriveled grape.
I thought the best moment of my life was when we tied the knot. But now, I realized the best ones are these moments I spend with him every day. There is far more to thank him for. I want him to know that all the small and big things he does do not go unnoticed. But more than that, I thank him for being him. His loyalty and dedication define him and I could not be more grateful to be able to spend the rest of my life with that kind of man.
2022 may not be any different from 2020 or 2021. But with him by my side, I can confidently say... BRING IT ON!
I'll let you in on a little confession—It has been thirteen years since I got myself a brand new phone. It died on me five years later and ever since, I lived with hand-me-downs and secondhand phones.
I wouldn't say I am a technophobe. But let it be known that I am one of those people who is totally unconcerned about using a primitive phone. While everyone nowadays is carrying an iPhone 12 or a Samsung S21, I still have this oldie but goodie S7—which was actually just a test device from Jan's previous work. You could say that it's pretty used when I had it, and most probably, it was a refurbished unit. But it was awesome. It does the job. So I didn't mind.
But lately, my phone has been acting up. The crashes are becoming frequent, the apps are getting unresponsive that I kept on sending inappropriate emojis by accident (god-forbid I do it to customers), and the phone itself is getting painfully slow.
I decided to use the money I earned from my latest blogging stint to buy a new one. I was eyeing for anything around Php10,000 because that's all I can afford. Yes, I am without a job right now and honestly, I could have easily asked the husband for it. But nope. I do not want to burden him because he is already paying for a lot of things and a phone is not something I badly need.
Then Rhett's enrollment fee came barging in. Nanlambot ako sa tuition. Haha! I was left with no choice. I gave up the idea of having a new phone, handed over a hefty down payment, and got immensely proud of myself for sending my incoming junior high school son to my alma mater, Ateneo.
The new phone? It can wait.
But I never thought Jan couldn't.
He surprised me with this one the other day:
 |
| He gave this 6 days before my birthday. Excited na siyang ibigay eh. Haha |
With all honesty, I am not the type you could easily sway with material things. But this got me super happy because it only means one thing: the husband pays attention to me—that even without telling him anything, he knows what I want, what I need, and even those what I think I don't need.
I still always think how I must be favored by the gods for having him. I do kiss him out of the blue, many times in a day. When he's working, when he's sleeping, when he's on his phone, or when he's doing nothing. It's my way of thanking him for all the little and big things he does. He has already done so much for me. I want to do something for him too. I long to buy him things that he wants too. But huhay. Katawan ko lang talaga ang kaya kong ibigay. Hahaha
 |
| We decided to have this rented instead. |
 |
| We're just waiting for the Title. Malaki na chance namin maapprove for a US B1/B2 Visa! Haha |
I remember back when I was a pacool kid, I avoided getting rickrolled like plague. I don't like the idea of falling for a trick where I end up watching a video of a little white guy with a big black voice and his terrible dancing. But now? I seek it out and willingly rickroll myself to enjoy the whole three minutes and thirty-three seconds breather before heading back to being sucked into an endless spiral of mindless social media scrolling.
I do hope that one day I'll be in Hawaii watching Jack Johnson perform live and Rick Astley would just show up rickrolling everyone. I know seeing the two of them together sounds too out of this world, but a fan can dream. Being part of the best meme in history by getting rickrolled by Rick Astley himself is a life achievement you never knew you wanted.
But you know what I find better than that? Jan, rickrolling me since day one.
Happy 2nd wedding anniversary, my constant rickroller! And thank you for ALWAYS doing the dishes and the laundry.
Gawd. I love being married to you! 😍😍😍
I got my new driver's license today. After one year and eight months of marriage, I finally have a valid ID bearing my husband's name.
Honestly, I could have just waited one more year to have my license revised and renewed at once (would have saved me time and money). But I think I've done enough waiting. I am excited to get slightly annoyed at people misspelling or misreading my new name—which, to no surprise, happened earlier at the licensing office. It's A-T-E-R-R-A-D-O. Not Atterado. Not Alterado. And definitely, not Alternado. It is, however, a hassle I can live with for the rest of my life.
On a serious note, we have acquired properties and signed legal documents with OUR family name, and these require valid IDs.
 |
| Pre-Covid days. At Samal Island, surveying our hacienda to be. Hehe ☺ |
But more than anything though, I want his name because I couldn't be more proud being married to a wonderful man. I look back at those times when I thought my life was not going anywhere. But here we are.
You see, I would not be the happy and content person I am today had I not chosen to love myself first. Had I not mustered the courage to walk away from a 12-year relationship with a guy who always placed me second to his non-essential hobbies and to whom I had a son, I would have fallen deep into a pond of goo that is Twitter where people put too much energy ranting about every damn thing. Had I not realized my worth, I would not be here speaking highly of my better half.
When I first met my then colleague, now husband, Jan, it wasn't love at first sight. I mean, he was terrible at making good first impressions. He was not the type of man you would want to show off. Smokin' hot? Forget it. Drives his own car? Can't even buy a new pair of shoes. Dresses well? Lousy. Charming? I wouldn't count on it. But seeing his true self, flaws and all, he is someone I would be proud of. He was a work in progress, just like I was.
We became really close friends. As our friendship grew, he was unknowingly hitting the marks on the qualities I want in a man (just to make this clear, walang ligawang nangyari). Intelligent. Check. Funny. Check (at least for me). Does not smoke. Check. Polite, respectful, and kind. Check, check, check. Knows his priorities. Double check. Albeit he did miss the finance department by a few inches (read: not financially irresponsible, just not well-off). But hey! I can fend for myself, so it was not a deal breaker.
We are compatible in a lot of ways. And by that, I mean, even if we don't share the same hobbies and interests, his views, values, and goals align with mine. So even if you strip off the spark, chemistry, and romance, I can still see a future with the man.
Seven years later, I am still truly grateful every day for him. I fell in love with him for the man that he was and still falling for what he is becoming. He is a great friend to anyone, a loving dad who has found talent in dancing he never knew he had, but an even better husband who has easily figured out my love language.
 |
| Ngiting tagumpay. |
People always tell me how lucky I am to have him. Of course, I agree with them. But now that I think about it, I say luck has nothing to do with it. Sure, it was probably luck that led us to each other (if turning down two high-paying home-based job offers for a company where I met him that doesn't pay as much counts). But the tough decisions we made, the heartbreaks and hurdles we had to go through, and the seemingly easy but toilsome process of loving ourselves first and rebuilding ourselves to become better led us to LOVE and ACCEPT each other.
Jan and I both agree that we would not be the person we are today emotionally, mentally, and even financially had we chosen to stay with our pasts. We do not, however, regret being with the wrong people (even if it took me ridiculously long to realize that). If anything, they taught us to be selective of who we allow in our lives. We choose to be with someone who can treat us well because that is what we believe we are worthy of.
So yeah. I have said this before and I will, even in a hundred summers, say it again: I AM MARRIED TO AN AWESOME MAN.
There are 7.8 billion people in the world and I got one of the best ones. Lucky? Nope. He is exactly what I deserve. And to answer the question I have asked myself a million times, what I did right in life to deserve him? Well, I have loved myself first and everything else just fell into place.
