Sunday, April 4, 2010
23rd of March
The boyfriend and I made specific plans for that night: mass at 7pm and a special dinner, afterwards. Yes, it has to be special. Not at par with our random greenbelt dinner dates; it must be special. It was, still and all, a special day; it was his dad’s birthday.
Like most plans for work nights (I won’t rant), everything got cancelled. He got caught up at work finishing something urgent and he can’t make it at 7pm. But I was already available so I heard the mass without him. After all, it wasn’t about us. Dinner plans changed, too. The supposedly special dinner turned into a fast food feast. But it didn’t matter. I just wanted to be with him, be there for him.
During dinner, I told him about the priest’s homily. It was about pain and being strong enough to win over it. The priest said people can overcome hurts only though overflowing love. I was looking directly in his eyes when I said those words, as if expecting a sudden change in his expression. But there was none. He remained calm and it was visible through his eyes he had truly moved on from that tragedy.
It must have been years ago but I know it is impossible for him to forget. No one can forget something like that. He was hurt in the worst way imaginable. In spite of it, he found it in his heart to forgive, not just the person responsible for it, but he forgave the world for letting it happen.
That night was a painful reminder of days he never got with his dad. I wouldn’t pretend I know how it felt because I don’t’ have the slightest idea. What I know is that whatever pain he had, he never let it destroy him. He drank it all in, making him stronger and worked his way to becoming the kind of man his dad would have surely, surely been proud of.
All in all, amidst the sudden change of plans, the night went well. I heard a couple dozen of his childhood stories and I felt a lot closer to him, which was something I never thought still possible. To end the “celebration”, I gave him a gift because no birthday is ever completely happy without one. He gave me something, too, in return: a smile. And that turned the night from being well to being absolutely perfect.
Happy birthday, Tito. I know you’re proudly smiling down at us from heaven. =)
Like most plans for work nights (I won’t rant), everything got cancelled. He got caught up at work finishing something urgent and he can’t make it at 7pm. But I was already available so I heard the mass without him. After all, it wasn’t about us. Dinner plans changed, too. The supposedly special dinner turned into a fast food feast. But it didn’t matter. I just wanted to be with him, be there for him.
During dinner, I told him about the priest’s homily. It was about pain and being strong enough to win over it. The priest said people can overcome hurts only though overflowing love. I was looking directly in his eyes when I said those words, as if expecting a sudden change in his expression. But there was none. He remained calm and it was visible through his eyes he had truly moved on from that tragedy.
It must have been years ago but I know it is impossible for him to forget. No one can forget something like that. He was hurt in the worst way imaginable. In spite of it, he found it in his heart to forgive, not just the person responsible for it, but he forgave the world for letting it happen.
That night was a painful reminder of days he never got with his dad. I wouldn’t pretend I know how it felt because I don’t’ have the slightest idea. What I know is that whatever pain he had, he never let it destroy him. He drank it all in, making him stronger and worked his way to becoming the kind of man his dad would have surely, surely been proud of.
All in all, amidst the sudden change of plans, the night went well. I heard a couple dozen of his childhood stories and I felt a lot closer to him, which was something I never thought still possible. To end the “celebration”, I gave him a gift because no birthday is ever completely happy without one. He gave me something, too, in return: a smile. And that turned the night from being well to being absolutely perfect.
Happy birthday, Tito. I know you’re proudly smiling down at us from heaven. =)
# posted by Liana : 4:33 PM
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