Dare to Be Yourself

On the subject where I am about to rant and rave, I am not an expert, even if I have stumbled and risen several times during my prime years. It was just enough to know that I learnt only through my mistakes, and that the race goes not to the one who runs the fastest, but to the one who keeps on running...

Love is a very powerful thing, a vague and broad subject. Just like lightning, you'll never know when it strikes. Love is real and definitely life-changing. It literally creates and shapes destinies before our very eyes, that sometimes we either took the signs for granted or simply  choose not to mind at all. 

My son, by posing just three questions that always remained at the back of your mind but which I know you've been itching to ask.  I am happy to show you how Love is related to almost all of them.

earl's group confirmation photos

The gift of love that blossomed between two people is not enough to allow it's existence to last for a lifetime. To borrow from Peter Parker's Uncle Ben words: With love comes great responsibility. You have to recognize that----especially if the honeymoon phase of a relationship is over----you progress from the stage of being in love with: to love a person and dedicating one's life for the one you loved.

I remembered you once asked me in gestures and in phrases in one of our visits to Dad’s ship: given a seafarers rather reckless adventures in romance, are they not loving much, or too hard?This may sound absurd, but I think it may be the opposite. What they truly love, they cannot possess. And to compensate for this, they turn to those companionship's that will not reject them. 

Do you know what I mean? Rather than being rejected by what they considers pure, noble, and ideal, they prefer to dwell within the comfort zone of those who will accept them. They are earning well but life at sea is boring and lonesome. Maybe by the failure of their past relationships, and discontentment of the present one,  their hearts are still aching, because of shattered dreams that left them with bruised egos. Perhaps, that’s their way of coping up with their heart aches, while waiting for time, to heal their wounded hearts and the right woman to come along.

prayerful friends

It sounds trite, but it is often true. Men offer love for intimacy, while women provide intimacy in return for what they perceived is love. While women learn early enough not to extend expectations based on this reality, men take a little longer. But then again, for some reasons, women, who are smarter than men, seem to have a blind spot in matters of the heart. Both for your and my peace of mind, I sincerely hope you learn from the mistakes of others and heed the lessons of history. On that note, you should probably just give your Dad’s seafaring colleague a little more time.
Which brings us to a third question, which you have asked in many forms: If it comes to such a point, do I follow my head or my heart, when I feel like falling in love with someone?
Despite all the fears generated in me and most probably of your Seafaring Dad as well, being our most precious gem, all that I can say is:
If you dare to love someone whom you feel in your heart deserves such love, you will not regret it. Words from a scared mom, but engraved in stone. Ironically, not all the purest and noblest intentions are sure deal, even until the day we die, who can tell whether or not we have made the right choice?

"Being passionate about what you are doing, at the right place, in the right time, and with the right people"...is my  mantra for success. 
Dear Son, we taught you to see and appraise the light, as well as all the shadows, and we hope that towards our winters, your fires of summer in turn will keep us warm. 

At least for now, you can fall back on your mother's feeble words, even if this gives me   butterfly in my stomach…
Arrrrgh! Just let me know who the lucky girl is. Hope she will love you for who you are. I promise. I will not be a monster mom in law to be...Son, don't dare to be different, just dare to be yourself... ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  We Love you ! Happy Birthday...♥ ♥ ♥ ♥