Thursday last week, my husband Migs and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. Much has happened, and yet it feels as though the years went by in a blink.

I can still remember being a giddy 23-year-old bride.

We first had a civil wedding in Bukidnon on Dec. 3, 2005, with traditional Manobo rites. The weather was overcast but just right for the wedding’s outdoor setting.

The ceremony lasted several hours, with a spotless white chicken offered as a sacrifice to keep evil away from our marriage. I didn’t understand a word being said throughout, but photos from the event showed me smiling from ear to ear as I watched the proceedings.

Two weeks later, on Dec. 17, we had our church wedding in Tagaytay.

I woke up early that day; looking out the window, eager to see the setting for the garden reception, I saw a thick, swirling fog.

The tents that had been set up the day before had ripped and the chandeliers hanging were now down on the ground. It had been raining throughout the day before, and it looked like it was going to rain on my wedding day.

The hotel staff immediately prepared its ballroom to accommodate our reception indoors. At that time there was panic and frustration over the turn of events. But Migs sent me a bouquet of flowers with a comforting note. I still have that card in my drawer because that day—and card—served as an important reminder that the wedding is not the marriage. The wedding is just one day, but the marriage is meant to be for a lifetime.

Soon the rain was ignored and it was time for me to walk down the aisle.

Power of prayer

The years that followed led me to our honeymoon stage, adjustment phase, and parenthood. But there was also a number of unique challenges and special events.

Constant communication has helped us understand each other and become better partners over the years. And through it all, prayers, prayers and more prayers keep everything in place.

I’m grateful that throughout our marriage, Migs has always been a wonderful husband whose love I have never doubted, as he always shows it through his words and actions. He makes me laugh when I need it and is supportive in everything. He is my husband, best friend, co-parent, movie date, officemate, travel partner and everything else in between.

Cause for celebration

In that way, 10 beautiful years went by before we knew it. It’s not even halfway to the silver mark, but just the same, Migs and I wanted to celebrate this milestone in our life.

When our daughter Adriana was 4 years old, she went through our wedding album and got upset because she wasn’t in any of the photos. I told her that she was still in heaven at that time and hadn’t been sent to us.

“Well, why didn’t you wait for me?!” she asked indignantly.

Last year, it was our son Juanmi’s turn to ask why he wasn’t in our wedding. He didn’t mind that we didn’t “wait” for him, but he asked that we get married again so he could join and “marry us,” too. I’m just waiting for our youngest, Santi, to be old enough to talk and I’m almost sure he’ll have something to say about not being in our wedding as well.

Since neither I nor Migs wanted to go through preparations for a major celebration, we decided instead to have a “wedding” with our kids, and only them, in it.

‘Renewal of vows’

We had planned a short break in Cebu for our anniversary and brought the kids along. We asked the hotel if there was a small private area where we could have a quiet ceremony to renew our vows with a priest, with no guests, save for our friend Ernest who is based in Cebu.

Adriana was delighted to be my “maid of honor.” Juanmi was supposed to be Miguel’s “best man” while Santi would be our “ring bearer,” but since we didn’t want to lose our rings, Juanmi took care of them while Santi stayed in Migs’ arms.

Renewing our vows took less than an hour, but it has had a refreshing effect that we’ve felt over the last few days. It’s like being on honeymoon again but without the rose-colored glasses.

We had a young priest, Father Torvs, who gave a very insightful talk about celebrating and never taking for granted those that we consider “ordinary” moments in life because, in the end, they are what add up to create the milestones we cherish.

He blessed our original rings, and as we put them back on each other’s fingers again, we repeated the same vows we made 10 years ago. We both meant every word of it then, as hopeful and wide-eyed newlyweds, but it felt different now, they’re richer and more meaningful with the passing of time.

We have a long way to go before celebrating our silver and golden wedding anniversaries. However, more than those milestones, we look forward to the years in between that hold infinite surprises, blessings and challenges.