Janis Benavidez

I was about to post this on MyBlog on 28Dec2007 - eve of our 6th wedding anniversary but there’s something wrong with my Friendster Blog link and was not able to update it.  Exactly after a month, the link is back again… so here it is now. This is for Luis.

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When we met for the first time in college in November1991, I did not know that was it. Just like a typical “boy-meets-girl, hi-hello-how-do-you-do introduction”. I thought it was just one of those short “ok, see-you-around-bye” conversation.

He was good-looking (even up to now), fair, tall, goes to gym right after class. Physically fit, attractive, quite famous in campus for his looks; in short, the ideal profile of a college boyfriend. 

Then, I started noticing him hanging around near where my friends and I make tambay near the BA Building. Hmmm – maybe waiting for his girlfriend, or maybe not: just loitering around.

We bumped into each other one time - I dropped my books - he smiled as he picked them up and I smiled back. He recognized me and I recognized him - “oh it’s you!”

Since then, we would always chance upon each other; everywhere I go, I would see him there – canteen, corridors, library, and even at the chapel. I always catch him making backward glance at me. Then I told myself if this guy courts me, I’d say yes right away.

On a sunny February afternoon in 1992, Cupid’s arrow hit me. I saw him from afar walking towards me and then suddenly I heard a magical tune. I don’t know what’s going on - I froze and that was it. I was pretty sure I was literally falling in love with him

. Thanks to Cupid, he really makes wonders.

Then courtship or shall I say the closeness began. He waited for me until my last class is over (sometimes, to reciprocate, I waited for him until his laboratory class), we have dinner together, we stroll at nearby mall and then bring me to the bus station (wala pang FX that time).

When we go out on dates, I felt shy; I hate campus people talking about me going out with Mr. Engineering 2^nd runner-up, like ‘oh, she’s just one of the girls” and more. I was “oh yeah, ok but I don’t care.”

So that was the start of it all.

Marrying him on December 29, 2001 was not a tough decision because I know he is the one, right at day one.

Best of friends for more than 9years, married for 6years - we’ve been together for almost 16years now and I am so grateful to have him as my other half. Despite my mood swings, crankiness and all, he loves me unconditionally.

My husband and my son, I love my two boys so much – they are my world. Even though we are geographically apart from each other, every night I hold them in my dreams and when I wake up, I carry them around in my heart.

To you, Luis, you’ve captured my heart; you’ve seduced my heart in the way I never thought possible. Here’s to another 16years of not just a relationship, but a commitment - 16more years to forever.

Happy 6^th wedding anniversary! I love you and I miss you.