10

Coming from a big family, and the youngest from a brood of 5, I grew up enjoying birthdays - that day you celebrate, often not by parties, but by spending the day without utos, without risk of getting ridiculed or nasty orders from older siblings. Bawal utusan, di maghuhugas ng pinggan, walang walis walis - total senorita for the day. Pwedeng mang-alaska at walang babatok! hehehe :-) Oh how we love birthdays! Eve pa lang excited na kami :-) That's how I grew up, always looking forward to that 24 hours of pure bliss. How I wish I can pass that feeling to my kids, just happy and thankful even for the simplest joy of being the boss for a day.

Every now and then, I ask each bride I work with if she's excited as the day nears, 90% of the time, I get a shrieking yes. The other 10%, feeling all stressed, just wants to get it over and done with. Corny.
But how can you not be excited? You get another day when you automatically become that special person, with everyone celebrating your day, your chosen day.

Ten years have passed since we got married, and do I still feel that? Sheepishly, I say yes. It's our tenth tomorrow, la ring party, la photographers, la call time for make up. No fanfare, really, but am I excited? oh yes! just like it was, ten years ago.

Only now, both of us share the limelight.

May all brides and grooms celebrate their chosen day just happy and thankful - to love someone and to be loved.