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| Maritess aka "Iram". Photo taken on Oct. 25, 2019 |
This Tuesday, May 24, 2022, I dedicate this blog post to my idol, great crush and life partner Maritess. Iram as I call her in public, Tetet to those who knew her since childhood, and Tess to her family, relatives and classmates in elementary and high school.
When we got together in April 2016, there was no promise of a good life, only a commitment that I would always put her as my number one priority in life, which I am proud to say I did until today. In fact, she was the reason why I tried hard to quit smoking months before I had a stroke in January 2017, as she has an asthma. And Iram was and is still the primary reason for me wanting to live longer when my health condition was then uncertain.
Iram and I have been together for the last six years, but we have already been through a lot (including various trials and tragedies not only to us personally but also to our families such as the death of my youngest brother, and the passing of her mom), and we continue to rise above them as life partners.
Of course, we had our share of ups and downs, differences, of almost giving up to one another, yet at the end of the day, love still prevails. Iram never demanded anything from me, only an appeal to give her due consideration everytime her birth month would come because during this period she becomes more emotional.
Typically, Iram is a joker. She loves to make fun of a situation, even herself, or our life circumstances. But she, too, could very well be emotional at times. And oftentimes, however, she holds off her personal issues, disappointments and sadness over other people in order to keep the relationship at peace. When I asked her why, Iram would say she would rather sustain the happy ties than burn the bridges and harness pain and hatred.
But what I love so much about honeyko is her commitment whether at work, to a sworn duty, to friendship, to her family and her love for me. She may not at all times be the sweetest type of a lady but when she does, I do savor the moment to the fullest, because that is the side of her that does not come everyday. Perhaps, this can be attributed to her artistic side that you cannot easily predict her moods.
Also, Iram is not the type who will pamper you with sweet nothings everyday, nor will she come crying to you in the middle or after an argument just to reconcile. She will stand her ground, if she knows she is right. So how do I handle that? There is always a conscious effort to avoid conflict because for someone very emotional like me, if we engage in a discussion, I surely end up hurting the most. For Iram can easily move on from one phase to another, while I often carry the grudge longer.
Today, as you celebrate your 24th birthday multiplied by two, I am indeed happy that we are still together. We may not have much this year, but I am sincerely happy that we are still very much intact–ready to share every moment of our life be it in sadness or joy. Honeyko, I will not trade you or us for anything, and my prayer for you on this special occasion is that you will continue to hold on to us, to our dreams and to hold tighter to your faith as we look forward to the future that will unfold before our eyes, until we grow old and gray!
Happy Birthday, my great love, honeyko–Iram! ❤