Starting Monday, February 18 (Family Day), show your support and vote for Christine & Jonathan, as they compete to win the prize for Vibe 98.5 $98,000 Dream Wedding Contest. There are a total of 11 finalists and all will all have equal opportunity to win this amazing contest. Christine Borras Pangilinan and Jonathan Estor are part of two loving Filipino families in Calgary. Voting Ends February 28, 2008
Click here to Vote for Christine & JonWith Death There is Life & Puppy Loveby Christine Pangilinan
12 years ago I made a promise to my grade eight boyfriend that if I was 28 and he was 28 and neither of us were married we would get married. My question is why was I even thinking of marriage at 13?
I never really pictured getting married after that. I didn’t think of the dress, or the guy, nor did I think I wanted to be the perfect princess on my perfect day.
I lived my life, I had fun, and I moved away, I went to school. But that x boyfriend popped up every couple of years and each and every time we wondered… what if?
It started off at a grade 6 patrol picnic, he asked me out on Valentine’s Day in grade eight and in high school he again asked me to be his girl.
Three years ago I moved back to Calgary and our friendship was rekindled. We were in the exact same head space. Jaded, completely adverse to relationships, career driven, and fully resisting any emotions we had for one another.
We both had a travel itch and after one long day of work we decided to take off. No plans, no reservations, just two one-way tickets to Hawaii. The plane took off and our guards were let down. We just went with it.
It’s hard not falling in love in Hawaii, but to fall in love while being carried on another’s back, swimming in the ocean under a full rainbow that soared from the water to the steeple of a church on a hill in the rain is just a tad bit ironic. It was perfect. I yelled out “A full rainbow!” and as we turned to follow the arc that led to the church atop a hill we laughed “weird”!
That night while I was trying to fall asleep I caught him whispering, “I love you”. He thought I was sleeping. It was hilarious, but I thought better than to kill the moment and allowed myself to drift asleep. My heart was smiling.
The next day while we were hanging out he looked at me different than he ever had. He pulled a necklace he was wearing from beneath his shirt and disclosed a ring suspended from the chain and said “one day I’m going to put this ring right here” as he grabbed my ring finger. He looked up and said, “Does that scare you?” I shook my head. But in my mind I thought “Uhmmm I don’t think that will work. That’s a wedding band and it would never fit me, I think it’s for a man.”
The vacation flew by and we decided as easily as we came, we should go. That trip took us on adventure that we will never forget.
That year things got serious. Even when we were young people told us we were soul mates but I didn’t believe it till now. It was like life gave us the chance to meet each other, let us grow up, all to meet again when the time was right.
The year went on but it was the end of 2006 that would change us forever. We planned to spend New Years in Orlando; I was working so I was to meet him out there. The 31st was wonderful; we were in Disneyworld for the first time! The weather was great, the night was a blast and our spirits were high for the year to come. It wasn’t till the next day that my world would crash.
After an important text message, I called home. Something was not right. Everyone was telling me to come home at once. No one would tell me what was wrong. The phone was being passed back and forth all with the same message “you have to come home”. I begged for someone just to tell me.
Finally my aunt said “Chris, your brother Josh has been in an accident”. My heart stopped, he had been in two other accidents before, I asked, “Is he ok? Where is he?” “He passed away”. He was the designated driver, he was only 21.
From that moment on I lost all control. I had lived my life being so strong. I never felt I needed anyone to solve a problem for me but in that instant everything that I thought I was crumbled. Nothing anyone could have said would have helped me but it is what Jonnie did from that second on that proved to me that in life, if I ever needed anyone again, I would be blessed for it to be him.
He got me home. By the luck of fate there was a flight left New Years day with two seats open. The next week was such a blur. So much emotion, so much pain. I would feel in shock and in the same second it would hit me so hard. Just weeks before my brother would say “2007, September 7 (his birthday), this is gonna be my year!!” and not even one day into it and he was gone.
I didn’t know how all of this was going to change my family, my relationship must have been my last concern at the time, but all the while Jonnie was there by my side.
Later I asked him, what were you thinking when all of that was happening? He said “I finally got you and I thought, I’m going to loose her”. He was wrong.
A day after my brother’s funeral we went out. My period was a couple of days late and I knew it could be due to stress but something inside gave me a strange feeling. That day I found out I was pregnant.
After what had happened to my brother my view towards life had completely changed. With death there is life, the unplanned is fate, and accidents can truly be miracles. My first ultrasound determined my delivery date and it was none other then September 7th, my late brother’s birthday.
March 14th Jonnie purposed to me, but honestly I didn’t even need the question asked of me. I already knew that he was that man that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Fiancé or not he became my rock, my partner, my best friend, and most importantly my new family.
September 4th we had a son, we named him Dominic Joshua.
For us so much has already happened, but it’s only the beginning! I guess sometimes life just isn’t perfect, but hopefully for us, with your help and Vibe, the one-day that celebrates our story will be.
Technorati Profile
