Waiting for your own fairy tale

This article was forwarded to me by a friend as this was written by her friend as well. The article was so real I don't think anyone can't relate. Definitely worth blogging about... =)

WAITING FOR YOUR OWN FAIRY TALE

By Ruby de Vera
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 18:39:00 02/12/2008

MANILA, Philippines—We've all taken down the Christmas decor, lit the fireworks, and wished everybody Kung Hei Fat Choi. We all know what comes next, the one day most single people dread, Valentine's Day.

There may be filial love and platonic love among other kinds, but what really makes the world go round is that heart-wrenching, butterflies-in-the-stomach, cloud-nine-feeling, sleep-depriving, cold-hand-in-your-heart kind of love.

Romantic love has inspired countless artworks, movies, songs, business deals and even crimes. A theory goes that everything in this world all comes down to one thing: to find the perfect match.

We pursue good education to get a good job, which leads to good pay, which leads to buying power, which leads to being more attractive to the opposite sex.

Men who have power are always more attractive than men who have perfect cheekbones. Ask Donald Trump if you don't believe me.

Economics is a good gauge. During Valentine season, cash registers ring nonstop at restaurants, jewelry stores, lingerie shops, beauty counters and motels.

The wedding business is a multimillion-peso industry. Married people get taxed less because they have to pay for the house, car, and tuition. All these because of love and affection toward another person.

Fairy tales

The beginning of a relationship is a most magical time that we'll always fondly look back to. Nobody seems to do any wrong, the smiles never end, the lack of table manners is cute, and even the arguing of who hangs up first is standard operating procedure for the first few months.

Couples try to know each other's likes and dislikes. When they're apart, they feel pure torture. They make all excuses just to have a reason to be together. There is no "too tired," "too late" or "too many kisses."

Couples exchange text messages—"Good morning," "Have you eaten?," "What did you have for lunch/dinner/merienda?," "I miss you," "Are you thinking of me?"

Then the princess kisses the prince and suddenly he's a frog, or he kisses her and she becomes a witch.

Horror stories

Everyone whose heart is not made of stone has surely gone through at least one heartbreak in one's lifetime.

As children, we were set up for it. In grade school, teachers would cut out hearts in half and distribute them to the class, and the kids scurry around the room, trying to find their other half.

One such Valentine, I couldn't find my match and I seriously thought I would have to write a Valentine card to myself, a really sad thought for an 8-year old. My teacher found me a half; it's with another lost kid.

In college, when raging hormones and peer pressure are at their peak, I had a humongous crush on this boy. We were in the same class, and we were sort of friends. Until now I still don't know if he ever had any idea, but he started to get a little too nice.

When the object of your affection pays a little more attention to you than usual, the tendency is to start having delusions that he likes you back.

These delusions were encouraged by this boy asking my advice about Valentine gifts. The delusions were also promptly destroyed when, on the day itself, he handed me a card with a red heart on the flap. I flipped it over and it had my friend's name on it.

No guarantees

There are the things that I should have banged my head for. I can't count the number of times I felt like reaching inside myself, taking out my heart, and giving it a warm hug because it felt really cold inside my chest.

The promise of forever and ever is not cast in stone. No insurance company would ever issue a policy on broken hearts and shattered dreams. Even marriage, with the binding agreement in black and white recognized in all courts, is not a guarantee of eternal bliss. You can get alimony, though.

When a chapter comes to an end, you cry and mourn the passing of an era. Give it the grieving it deserves, but don't hold on to something that would hurt more than give happiness.

Every cloud has a silver lining, everything happens for a reason, there is a bigger plan— all clichés and all true. It doesn't mean that we don't get battle scars, but that's all it really is; something to show our grandchildren when we're 90 and senile.

Still, however trampled we might have gotten in the past, it's no reason to immediately suspect the next candidate as a potential sadist whose only purpose in life is to karate-chop your fragile heart to pieces.

Every person is unique; and while learning from past mistakes is good, we shouldn't get cynical about love in all forms. There are no rules in handling relationships, and even if there were life would be utterly boring we'd all be flinging ourselves down a cliff and be extinct.

Don't be the idiot who waits for a punchline when someone cute asks you out to a movie and dinner. The next time you see him he will be with someone who actually took the offer seriously. Look forward to your next fairy tale, and who knows, it might just end happily ever after.