Last Friday, November 8, 2013, my husband and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. It was a most special day for both of us. It was also the most unfortunate day for our kababayans in the southern part of the country.

My husband and I are already anticipating the super typhoon (or, in our words, super duper typhoon), and we are starting to get quite scared because his parents and youngest brother are in Iloilo, one of the provinces where the typhoon is heading to.

We are so thankful to the Lord that they all are fine. No damage to their house whatsoever. We monitored them through calls and texts.

However, damage and destruction were seen in other provinces. We opted not to watch any news that day. We did not want to spoil our anniversary.

We made plans of attending a Mass and having a simple dinner out, but we scrapped them for fear of the storm. Together with our little girl, the three of us stayed home, had some food delivered, and prayed the Rosary before we slept. Likewise, our city was spared from the threat of the typhoon. God is good, we exclaimed.

Through Facebook, we read updates and stories — looking for relatives, asking for food and water, wanting to leave the barren land. As the days passed, news got worse. The tragedy still has not sink in me, that is why I choose not to update my Facebook. All I did was forward directly messages to whoever can help, especially to my former colleagues in the military, who, I am aware, has an overwhelming task now. They can only do so much, and we can only pray for their safety and success.

But still, we are grateful for God’s faithfulness to our family, for giving me and my husband five years of strong marriage and 15 years of friendship. Likewise, He gave us a wonderful family and loving friends who are there for us. 

It may be the most forgettable anniversary, but it is also the most meaningful.

So, please allow me some moments of cheeziness which I was not able to do last week.

Happy Anniversary, my darling Schatzi. I love you and Aria so very much. Thank you for being my best friend, worst critic, love of my life, and partner in crime (and rhyme!). Thank you for allowing me to be who I want to be, for inspiring me to make wonderful music through my singing and through our choir–our first labor of love. Thank you for being the head of this family, for being a good husband and father to Aria. I always pray for your good health. Here’s to more adventures, more music-making, more harangs, more travels, more babies (!), and more love. To God be all the glory!

~ Touringkitty

How can you help the Philippines:

Among other institutions, we always give to Philippine Red Cross, good or bad weather alike. List of where you can donate at www.rappler.com or www.cnn.com