Happy Birthday, My Love

Today, I'm going to be getting a bit personal. 

After all, it's a special occasion - Macky is celebrating his birthday today!

Since I can't be with him in person (as I'm in NY and he's in Manila), I'm dedicating this post to him.

Waiting in the airport for our flight to Bacolod! (2009)

Macky and I have been together for 7 years and 4 months. This is a spectacular accomplishment for us both, especially because we've been dealing with being in a Long Distance Relationship (LDR) for 2 years and 10 months (and counting). There have been countless moments of joy, of sorrow, of anger, of drama - but every single one was worth it. Our relationship is one of the best parts of my life, and I love the stability and strength that it possesses. We're currently in the middle of plans and details for our September church wedding, which is being held in Bacolod (my hometown in the Philippines).

at Greenbelt 5 for my despedida (2012)

Quite simply, Macky happens to be the one for me, the love of my life. It almost feels like he was made just for me, as he possesses many of the qualities I wanted in a partner. These are things like loyalty and affection, respect and trust, honesty and faithfulness, humor and kindness, and many more. We even have a running joke that he meets all my requirements for the perfect husband - except that he doesn't quite know how to do laundry (though he's willing to learn!). 

I happen to love him with all of my heart. It absolutely thrills me that I get to spend the rest of my life learning, growing and loving with this amazing, wonderful man. 

-----

I do love writing personal posts and sharing parts of my life with you. I love it even more when there's something that ties them in with my love of reading and writing. This post is no exception.

One of the things that Macky and I share is a deep, deep love of stories. We both enjoy reading, though I read far more than he does. He's picky about what he chooses to read, but he loves the books he loves with an intensity that far surpasses even my craziest fangirling moments. I, on the other hand, devour books like there is no tomorrow - mostly because I love getting lost in stories and worlds and characters. 

getting our hair done (2012)

[One thing we absolutely agree on: Harry Potter - books and films - is amazing.]

One of the best things about this mutual love is that he gets it. He understands when I tell him I am sobbing over something that happened to a beloved character in a book. He understands when I tell him that reading kept me up until 5AM because I just couldn't put the book down. He understands when I get completely lost in a book and forget to do other things or pay attention to my phone. He's that guy who will make me tea or bring me snacks and just keep me company (silently, possibly reading his own book) when I'm in the middle of a book I love.

He's also incredibly supportive when it comes to the book blog, both in terms of promoting the darned thing to his friends (which always makes me feel shy!) and in terms of contributing to the blog (and you should look out for more posts from him!). And he's my number one supporter/critic when it comes to my writing.

So yes, I'm incredibly lucky to have this incredible, supportive man in my life - and that I get to have him forever.  

our civil wedding ceremony (2013)

Happy birthday, my love. 

I love you, always and forever Macky.