I'M ENGAGED! #ChappyEverAfterWithHazel

The Proposal Story & kinda-Our Story

MY DEAREST FIANCÉE,

Alam kong hindi ka mahilig magbasa ng mahahabang post kaya open letter na lang para mabasa rin ng iba :))

I woke up that day completely unassuming and clueless about everything that was going to happen that night. It was our 3rd anniversary and I knew it was going to be just another ordinary day ahead—commute, work, meetings, work, commute, event, home, sleep. You told me ahead of time that you were very very very sorry about being busy for work on our anniversary day and that we could celebrate the next day instead. I thought, “Not again.” I was pretty smad (sad na mad haha) about it, signs of my tampo couldn’t help but show, especially a few days before haha.

Fast forward to that night, I was on my way to a “debut event” your mom had organised and asked me to host. They were just too nice to even fetch me from work. 

On the way there, since it was our anniversary, I couldn’t help but sit still, keep quiet and think about the rollercoaster we’ve been through together—both the ups and downs, the twists and turns, the sudden drops, the fun and finally reaching to a point where our journey got stable, progressively heading forward and upward. I recounted our days as classmates in grade-school, in high-school Jesus' Flock Academy (Marikina), then meeting each other again on our on-the-job training during college in The Araneta Center and then meeting each other again in Jesus' Flock Church. I laughed to myself about those times where God crossed both our paths together, many times in that timeline, but we did not even bother to look at or mind each other. 

It’s amazing to think that if we’ve ever fallen in love with each other in an earlier time, with all our baggages, struggles and emotional immaturities, we might have not ended up with each other. And this beautiful relationship we have right now may not have happened anymore. God must’ve put up something like an invisible wall between us during those times, so that we can have a glimpse of each other’s lives from afar, until He saw that both of us were ready.

Little did we know, years and years later, the time our eyes finally met and stayed there a little longer—that was God’s perfect timing taking place. 

I sat in the car, wishing you were there so I can hug you like “di na ako tampo babe HAHA jk”. And then, my mind got distracted from memory lane as beside me was Bebe Chumchum, scratching my purse with her chubby hand and looking at me with eyes that could actually pierce your soul. And before I knew it, we have already arrived the “debutante’s venue.” The view was nice, so serene by a wide lake with a bluish pink sky. It's a navy blue and rosegold sky (wink) haha! It’s pretty!

Things got weird for awhile. 

A split second as I got off from the car, a lapel was attached to me. WHAT IS HAPPENING? As I walked, I was asked to wear this pair of gloves because the debut’s theme was “princess.” OKAY COOL, SURE. BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING? Ate Kylie and Tita Cel (Chaps’ Mom) tied a long pinkish white dress on me. TITA, ANO PONG MERON? (I couldn’t hear her answer)Then this place was next, with music playing, a projector flashing my photos from my childhood, and rose petals all over, Ate Maine gave me rose and told me it was from Bebe
Chumchum… AAWWW ANONG NANGYAYARI?
She escorted my to a seat in front of the projector. HAH?
Think I finally got what was happening? NOPE.

From the back, my MOM came to me and put a tiara on my head. OKAY I GOT IT. THIS IS AN ANNIVERSARY SURPRISE! 

“Awww, this is such a ma-effort anniversary. Pero wala ka naman” I thought.

The next thing I knew, you tapped me on the back and when I looked at you, you were bawling your eyes out crying!

Then I cried and cried, while you were making this sweetest speech about our journey together, and I was so shocked because no one has ever surprised me like this. Super effort! My knees got weaker as I fell more in love with a man in front of me who was being sooo sweet, kasi diba it’s just another anniversa—oh, why are you kneeling na?

Then you pulled out a ring. 

I’M LIKE WHUUUUT?

Then you said “Will you marry me?” 

COMPLETELY DUMBFOUNDED, I said “Totoo ba?”
Then I held out my hand for the ring, and forgot to say YES muna haha

The rest is history. Everything was just too perfect to even describe! I’m just so blown away by the love present in each and everyone, from both our families and our friends, that were there physically and spiritually to witness this miracle, that is our relationship. (If people knew our story, they would say that our relationship was indeed a miracle.) There is just so much joy, love and peace overflowing from me! And I know that is because we are living right in the palm of God’s hand and that is the best place we could ever be. I know in my heart that God has orchestrated our friendship into our relationship and into the marriage we are about to enter. I know marriage can be intimidating, but knowing this: “YOU, ME & GOD. A cord of three strands is not easily broken!” 

I look forward to the wedding preparations and to the rest of our lives full-on without fears. Because truly, perfect love casts out fear!