It has been more than a year since Joe and I (Alexandra) first met on
Catholic Match. It was called “St. Raphael” back then. We met on
November 14, 2003, and got to know each other through regular emails
and chat. Then we became good friends, and later on discovered that we
both were feeling far more than friendship for each other. I live in
the Philippines, he lives in Maryland. Two souls from two different
parts of the world, have met and fallen in love.
Joe is the quiet
type…oh well, let me say, a typical ARTIST. From the beginning, his
love for kids, love for music and love to have a family of his own,
were the big plus points for me while I was in search for a life mate.
We both had bad past relationships, and had similar situations in our
most recent one…and before we decided to go steady, we both were still
afraid of falling in love again and get hurt. But LOVE prevailed.
We
both have seen a lot of similar things between us…we are so compatible
in every angle. We have the same taste in food, we both have the same
strong faith in God, we are both musicians, and we both want to raise a
Christian family together. We both have the same priorities in life…
FAMILY FIRST. These are just some of the major things that we have in
common, and there are a lot of minor things that support these.
November
7, 2004, that was the day when we first saw each other. I can still
feel the excitement whenever I recall the feeling that I had when I was
about to meet him at the airport. I was shaking, my heart was beating
fast…and I know that very moment, he was feeling the same way too. We
have had our ups and downs too, but Joe and I resolve things easily
because we both listen to each other’s thoughts and opinions. We don’t
judge each other’s feelings…in short, we respect each other very much.
He has loved me for who I am and I love him for who he is. For me,
there is no other way that could ever express the love that we are
sharing right now.
Then came November 10, 2004. We both decided
to visit the church to pray, then went to buy flowers since we wanted
to visit my best friend’s gravesite, who died on February 28th of that
year. I promised my best friend Kate, when she was still alive, that I
will introduce to her my future husband. Even before Joe came to see me
for the first time, we both had a strong feeling that we were meant for
each other. That even if we were not formally engaged yet, we knew in
our hearts that we were going to be together forever. While we were on
our way to the cemetery, Joe was really, really quiet. I was wondering
why. When we got there in front of Kate’s gravesite, he just started to
hold me close in his arms, and I felt sooooo secure at that time. I
couldn’t explain it through words right now. My heart is leaping with
joy, and I want to express it through this story.
After staying
there for a few minutes, he held my hands, looked at me straight in the
eyes and popped the question as he knelt down: “Alexandra, will you
marry me?” Wholeheartedly, I said “YES!!!” So far, that was the
happiest moment of my life. He loves my daughter very much, and my
daughter loves him too. My daughter can feel that she’s being loved by
Joe. In fact right now, my daughter calls him “Papa Joe.”
I have
been close with his family--his mom and I write to each other regularly
too. I have kept in touch with his brother’s fiancé, and even though
I’m so far away, I feel like I really am a part of his family. He is a
part of my family too. They love him very much!!
We had a very
simple celebration. We just ate dinner together with my family in
Bacolod, and had lunch with my family in Manila. But another romantic
thing happened when we were with my family here in Manila. He asked for
my hand from my dad, and I can still imagine the smile on my dad’s face
when he said: “YES.” I just felt like I wanted to hold Joe that very
moment and never let him go.
Joe left for the States the day
after, that was November 14th, 2004. Now, we’re happily engaged. Like
him, I am sad too, because we really, really miss each other very much.
We promised to love each other for the rest of our lives. That even if
we haven’t made a formal vow to God yet, in our hearts, the vow that we
have made to each other is sacred too. In this crazy world, a lot of
couples don’t stay together for a long time…it is very rare for that to
happen. My parents are separated too, and I do not want that to happen
in my life with my future husband. With Joe, I could see FOREVER. There
is nothing more I could ask for.
God has given me such a
wonderful man…just the perfect man that I have longed and asked for. He
is such a wonderful blessing. He has changed my life so much.
This
year, we will be uniting our hearts in the sacrament of Holy
Matrimony…the year when we will first start our lives together as a
couple, and as a family with my daughter. My daughter will be adopted
by him and will share his name too. We can’t wait to start our lives
together forever.
Thank you Catholic Match!! God has used your
site as an instrument to bring people together for marriage. And we are
so blessed to have met here. More power to you!
