Two Lives Made One

I attended last week the wedding of my former student Jhay Surmeda. I don’t usually socialize with my students outside school events or even attend personal events happening in their lives. I am reluctant attending those kinds of events, I am aware of the respect they give me and at times I know they avoid talking to me if they can help it. It can be very awkward.

But you can say there are special students I hold dear in my heart that even the passing of time can’t erase that. I do have students becoming my close friends after they graduated and would meet up or communicate with each other once in a while.

So when Jhay requested me to attend his wedding I just can’t refuse him(although it took me a month to really agree attending). It was an honor really, for him to still think of me after all these years and even felt I am special enough to witness a very important milestone in his life.

The wedding of Jhay & Lea Surmeda was held last June 16, 2009, 3:00 pm at the Immaculate Conception Parish, Antipolo Cathedral or more widely known as the church where Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is in Antipolo City. The reception at the Alta Vista Clubhouse also in Antipolo City followed.

The wedding was elegant and solemn. The bride Lea was radiant and beautiful and the groom Jhay dashing. The wedding was conducted while it was raining very hard outside the chuch but I always believe rain brings blessings for the newly weds. I really felt the love Jhay and Lea feel for each other and how important that moment was for both of them. I said a fervent prayer to the Lord to guide and bless their marriage, the ceremony was really moving.

Familiar faces I saw there were my PUP former students, Jhay and Lea’s batchmates and close friends. It felt like a reunion! I got to catch up on what’s happening to them and how they are doing in their careers. I really enjoyed myself.

The reception that followed was really festive! Their VTR was impressive and the activities that followed lively. The venue was great you get to see Metro Manila skyline at a distance.

I was touched how Jhay and Arvin took really good care of me, checking if I am ok or if I need transport to the reception and if I am enjoying myself.

My gift for the newly weds are the chocolate giveaways in honor of their wedding. It’s the first time I have done edible wedding giveaways and it was distributed after dinner at the reception. My former students were surprised that I would do such a thing, create such goodies just for Jhay, for those who does not know, I give free chocolates to my students and still do so today. I loved doing it actually. It was a labor of love since it took me a week to design, conceptualize and make all those 140 pieces of chocolates.

To Jhay and Lea, Best Wishes and Congratulations!