A friend confessed that she’s falling in love. I told her, “I think so too…”
the sparkle in her eyes, blush on her cheeks, unexplainable smile on her lips says it all.
As my friend tirelessly raves on about her newly found love, I tried to imagine mine.
My husband for almost 10 years, special friend for more than 13 years… Gary remained the same,
well except for that additional 20 pounds on his weight.

Then my friend asked me the ultimate question, “How do I know if he’s the one?”
Hah! The question I never get tired of answering,
the question I find it easy to answer but seems so hard to explain…

“You’ll just know…”

I silently enumerated all the reasons that made us strengthen our decision… commitment, shared interests, unselfishness, physical attraction, communication, trust, faith…

Ooops! Let us not forget laughter… it’s the icing on the cake.

There is Understanding.
I now understand why he must play poker or go out with his brods,
And he also understands that once in a while I should be taken out on a fancy restaurant, see new places, and also meet some friends.

There is Sharing.
Not only do we share household worries and parental burdens - we also share ideas. I always tell Gary the new things I learn everyday, and Gary lets me experience all the beautiful things he knows. He also talks about his dreams, and asks me what do I think of it…

There is Forgiveness.
When I lost or misplaced something important, Gary forgives me.
When he forgets to do something I asked him to do, I shrug my shoulder and say, “It’s okay.”

There is Growth.
Now…
I do not worry much, especially on financial needs.
He spends more time with me, Marcus and Zach and thinks of himself less.

There is sensitivity.
I try to stay strong when things for him seems tough.
He, on the other hand, just makes me laugh when things get too serious…

There is faith.
When everything seems to be going against our hopes…
When all our efforts seem futile…
We stay with what we believe… “We keep the faith”

There is Knowing.
I know Gary hates to throw garbage; he’ll be late to most appointments and he spends most of his time at home blogging or watching TV.
He knows that I cry when I’m happy, I cry when I’m sad, I cry when I’m angry, I cry when I’m frustrated, I cry when I’m exhausted, I cry when I’m not feeling well…

Finally, there is Blessing.
Blessing from the family…
Most importantly, Blessing from Above…

I cannot imagine myself sharing and doing all these things other than with Gary.

“You’ll just know…”

She nodded and smiled.

I smiled back.