The Biggest Adventure

While other people speak speak about having too little time to spend with their fathers, I want to tell you before it becomes too late.

From the start you have always loved me. And I love you.

You taught me priceless lessons and molded me into the man I am today. I am neither great nor famous, and I have my flaws, but I am happy with myself, and I can face the world with my head held high and with a smile on my face, and I have you to thank for that.

While before I would cry and frown over being disciplined, all I can say now is that I’m thankful you are my Dad.

You taught me to expect the best of everyone around me. Not only that, you taught me to expect even more than the best from myself.

You taught me that what makes a man proud is neither his money nor his clothes, not the car he drives, it is in the name he makes for himself by the way he treats others.You showed me that sometimes in life, we do falter and fail - what’s important is that we get back up each time we do.

While everyone else was teaching their kids the easy way to make a buck or the best way to hit a tennis ball, you taught me that there are no shortcuts - you reap what you put in.

You showed me how to work with my hands, and how to use my mind.

You told me to follow my dreams, but you also taught me to love what I do.

You taught me to be strong for the weak, and to demand the best from the strong. You taught me never to judge someone by what they have, but rather to see them by what they do. You taught me loyalty in the face of temptation, courage in the face of adversity, and laughter for when times get rough.

You taught me to be angry at the unjust, and to forgive those who have fallen.

You were my greatest influence, and my most powerful inspiration. For all these, I will forever be grateful.

Everyday, I strive to better myself. At times I do stumble and fall, but each time I do, I resolve to rise up again, and continue to fight for what I believe is right. I hope that one day, I may have made myself into a man you can be proud to call your son.

Love, Your Son

Jay

And I thought my own proposal was beautiful… Check out my friend’s proposal to his (now) fiancée. It was truly a heartwarming story and I couldn’t help but admire Marco Baylon for his love, nerves and courage.

In my own defense, though, I had to make do with knowing absolutely nobody in the city where I proposed.

There is a photograph in my head. I’ve probably seen hundreds of other photographs that were more impressive, but this one is special.

Theres a lake. All around, almost everything is green. Green grass, trees, shrubs. The sun is shining brightly, but not fiercely, and there is a gentle breeze on a cool summer afternoon.

There are a few birds gathered by the shore. A few ducks, certainly, as well as a couple of pigeons. In the distance, near the middle of the lake, you can make out the outline of a family boat, pulling a rubber raft, with the kids playing on the water.

At the edge of the picture, really just peeping out from left hand corner, is the front fender of a light cyan car (some would say teal). Only a small part can be seen but in your mind’s eye, you know the exact make and model, you know exactly what that car looks like from the inside. You know that in the backseat, is a gray knapsack holding sunblock and various items and accessories, and a black men’s cotton jacket, embroidered with a blue dragon and the logo of a far-away Hard Rock Cafe.

At the center of the picture, you’d guess a few meters from the lakeshore, is a picnic table. Seated at the table, their backs turned towards the camera, is a couple. They’re not too close, not actually touching, and yet, they’re not seated too far apart either. You can’t see their faces, but you know, from the slant of their heads, that they’re looking, smiling at one another, with looks that say, “Well, here we are… and we’ll stay this way… forever.”

You can’t see the couple’s hands from this angle, but part of you knows that there, just hidden from view, is a half eaten pizza, and plastic cups of soda. You know, from the activity on the water, the the ducks are gathering, eager to partake of whatever crumbs might be left uneaten.

And at that very moment, as their eyes speak their unspoken vows, the shutter clicks, and captures the moment, for all eternity.

Tonight, I hold you in my thoughts and dreams.

How I long for the day I hold you in my arms again. The day I whisper in your ear how much you mean to me, and pledge to you my heart, my life.

Have faith, mahal. Be strong and have faith. Hold on to our love and do not be afraid. I will be there soon, to walk beside you, hand in hand, heart in heart, with every breath, with every step…

I will be your strength when you are weak, and catch you when you fall. I will laugh with you in times of joy, and bear your sorrow as my own. I will dry your tears, and look into your eyes, and tell you that no matter what, I am yours forever… and you would know that it’s true.

To my fiancee, my soulmate, to the woman who holds my heart, I love you.

In a few hours time, I leave for Kyoto, a place that holds my very first memories of working in Japan, and more importantly, the memories of the weekend when we first met.

The first step into that room would change my life forever. The first smile, the first hello from the woman I would years later forever pledge my life and heart to.

I recall the laughter and the conversations,the easy warmth of the vodka, the biting cold of the wind outside. I recall a panicked Alwyn, knocking frantically on my door after I invited you in for a cup of coffee, and a hysterical Maggie, who cried herself into a drunk stupor for fear her friend had fallen into the hands of a crazed madman.

I remember the smell of the sisig that relieved the queasiness in our stomachs, the afternoon spent at the shops and the karaoke room. I remember how we rushed to get you on the bullet train to meet your boss on your way back to Nagoya.

After all these years, I still remember it all.

Yes, that was the first time I ever set sight on snow. But what I remember most vividly is the feel of your hand in mine as we walked down the road, neither of us knowing what was in store for the future, as the first of the crystal snowflakes gently grazed our faces.

This place is so full of memories…

I see it as clearly as if it was yesterday… You’re moving around the room, fixing your clothes, drying your hair, while I watch from the sidelines, wondering to myself how I could have been so lucky.

I see Poe from the corner of my eye… sitting on the bed, watching his mom and dad get ready to go out, observant eyes taking everything in.

I see the warmth of the sunlight reaching in through the gaps in the curtains, and am held breathless when you smile at me. The touch of your hand still lingers on my skin, and I smell the sweet scent of your favorite perfume…

I find myself transported back in time… to Hira-cho. We’re walking and laughing, hand in hand, hurrying to catch the next bus downtown as the afternoon sun lays it’s gentle rays upon us.

I remember the ramen shop, where the proprietor knew us by face, and was always ready with a smile and two warm towels. I remember how you would oscillate between your two favorite dishes and decide on which was most appropriate. I remember the gentle farewells each time we left the shop.

It’s been almost a year since you left this place, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.

I miss my babies…