In my 26 years of existence, I've dated 13 different people on Valentine's Day. It started when I was in third year high school. I was 14 - an innocent and very conservative young lady.
First date: 2006. A young boy I met on the same high school. He was quiet but the first time I saw him, I had a crush on him. When I got to know him more, I realized that this quiet boy is quite hot tempered.
2nd: 2007. I was on my senior year by that time. He was my first and last dance on our Prom night. He made me feel like a princess and gave me the most magical time of my life. Before I graduated high school, we had a very big fight.
3rd: 2008. It was the second semester of my college life. I fell in love once again but this time, there were more arguments and disagreements than sweetness. He was an aspiring theater actor and a badminton player. We went to different schools but still managed to see each other when we had time.
4th: 2009. My date this time was my schoolmate. He was freshman.
5th: 2010. I was a member of a youth organization called Sangguniang Kabataan. He was also one of us but from another Barangay.
6th: 2011. I was a graduating student. I had no idea what I want to do with my life. But there was this young man who was very supportive of me and was confident that I am smart enough to become a somebody someday.
7th: 2012. On the first year of my working life, I was in love with a student. I was assigned in a branch far away from my hometown but this boy made the effort of travelling for two hours back and forth just to give me flowers and make me smile.
8th: 2013. A guy, same age as mine but unemployed captured my heart. He had the qualities of a successful man -hard-working, creative, and with a sense of responsibility.
9th: 2014. A graduating student. We planned our future together. We had so many dreams.
10th: 2015. My man by that time worked in a private company owned by one of the richest families in the Philippines. He had a great career.
11th: 2016. My date was sick. A mass was found in his chest. I had to travel 2 hours just to meet him on Valentine's Day. We didn't even have the time to take a picture. It was a sad 2-hour date but I loved him even with his health condition. I almost proposed to this guy when I found out he was sick.
12th: 2017. He had to undergo chemotheraphy. I traveled almost 4 hours on Saturdays and Sundays just to visit him. I am a cry baby. He knew it. But he really showed me he was brave and strong to overcome his illness.
13th: 2018. This year, same as the past 12 Valentine's day of my life, I had a date. Again, for 13 years in a row, I received a bouquet of flowers. We had facial and full body massage together, ate at a Japanese resto near our town, and exchanged the words "I love you" as he rode the tricycle and went home.
To those 13 different people with different personalities- from the quiet boy in high school to the Engineer that I fell in love with for almost 13 years:
Thank you for everything...for your love, patience, never-ending effort, bravery, and sacrifices for this relationship to last. Every year we grow as a person and every year I choose to love you even more.
Thank you for winning your hardest battle. I am grateful that you are still here...giving me flowers on Valentine's day.
