live another day

If only my grandma is still living today, it would be their 66th wedding anniversary.

I’ve always been fascinated with my grandparent’s love story. My grandpa was inlove with this beautiful and wonderful lady. I didn’t know much about their relationship but I knew they were a perfect couple. But the funny part was… she was going to marry someone else. Geesh. My grandpa was really devastated and so out of extreme emotion of anger or I don’t know what… he married the lady’s bestfriend, also known as my grandma. Isn’t that sweet!? They had 12 offsprings, 10 boys and 2 girls. It must have been really crazy... the marriage and the 1 dozen children. But everything went well I guess. They were able to celebrate together their golden wedding anniversary.

I can still remember their 50th wedding anniversary. Everyone flew in from US (the celebration was in Philippines) just to celebrate the crazy & I assume wacky 50 years of married life. All of us were wearing the finest gowns and suits, the church where they are going to renew their vows was filled with flowers, caterers were all over our 1000++ sq foot ancestral house, all family, friends and neighbors were invited, etc. Then about an hour before everybody leaves for the church… my grandma suddenly gave us all a blank stare. She didn’t know who we were or what was going on. I don’t even know if she knew who she was. I was very young then so it was only known to grown ups what was really going on. (Now I understand that what had happened was Transient Ischemic Attack. Its like stroke but with less “injuries") The renewal of vows was still held but not anymore in the church. We have to move it to our house since my grandma can’t seem to know how to walk anymore. My oldest uncle have to answer the priest “I do” questions in my grandma’s behalf coz she even cant understand what we were all saying. The party went on afterwards with all guests have to say their names first before greeting grandma. The day after was perfectly fine. Grandma was well and she is really pissed she “missed” her Golden anniversary. Good thing there were pictures to tell how great the party was. She was in every picture but couldn’t remember if she was there or not.

We planned to celebrate again the following year… but she wasn’t able to live to have another wedding anniversary celebration. She had a stroke about a month before their 51st.

I just wished that my grandma was able to live a little longer… so she could have experienced to celebrate her wonderful & fulfilled married life. I’m also wishing to have the same married life & family that she had.

Happy anniversary Lolo and Lola! We’re still going to celebrate coz even when Lola is not here anymore…Lolo’s heart will always be with you, Lola.

*No matter how weird or crazy the start may be, the middle can be beautiful and will hopefully lead to a happy ending.

*Several years later, the lady early in this story kinda reunited with my grandpa. Geeesshh. She was in US while my grandpa was in the Philippines. They exchanged snail mailed letters (they don’t know how to US the PC yet) until my grandpa felt like proposing. He was like almost 80 years old. Lol. Anyway, nothing serious pushed through since everyone (see 12 grown up children + inlaws + grandkids + the lady’s family) was against it. It was really complicated.