M A R U J A

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for
love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being loved.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

• I want to know if you have touched the center of your
  soul.
• If you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become
  shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

• I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,
• If you can dance with wildness and let ecstacy fill you to
  the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be
  realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

• It doesn’t interest me if the story you tell me is true.
• I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to
  yourself,
• If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray
  your own soul.

• I want to know if you can see beauty
• Even when it is not pretty everyday,
• And if you can source your life from God’s presence.

•  I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
• And still stand on the edge of a lake
• And shout to the silver of the full moon, “yes!”.

• It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much
  money you have.
• I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief
  and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for
  the children.

• It doesn’t interest me who you are, how you came to be
  here.
• I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire
  with me and not shrink bank.

• It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have
  studied
• I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all
  else falls away.
• I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
• And if you can truly like the company you keep in the
  empty moments.

“I guarantee there’ll be tough
times. I guarantee there’ll be one day when one or both of us would want to get
out. But I also guarantee that if I do not ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it
for the rest of my life coz I know in my heart, you’re the only one.”

Everybody was sighing as we
watched Julia Roberts say these lines to Richard Gere in an unromantic setting
– the balcony of a building in bustling New York City – in the movie Runaway
Bride. A few scenes before that, it was Richard who said the same lines to
Julia, likewise in an unromantic scenario, as they were talking about how
people propose marriage.

True enough, when we were
teenagers it was a question which we loved to answer in slum books. It remains
a topic that creates giggles and shrieks whenever friends talk about it.

But does one really know what LOVE is? We often mistake it
for a crush, an infatuation or sometimes, even for the sheer joy in
companionship. Sometimes, we think it’s that feeling that we have when our
hearts continue throbbing hard when we see that special person. Or when our
knees start to shake and begin to weaken. But can anyone really define love? I
don’t think so, not even the ones who think they have felt it, or those who are
feeling it, or those who hope they will feel it. Not even my philosophy
teacher. Because love is not something that you define…it’s a DECISION.

When you feel that you love one person, how can you tell
that he or she won’t feel the same way for the next person who comes along?
LOVE is not a feeling, it’s a decision. Because, LOVE when it’s a feeling, is
something that floats in the air, something you cannot touch or dare to
comprehend. LOVE, when it’s a decision, makes it solid, makes it a commitment,
makes it more lasting and more real.

You can feel that you can be in love 20 million times in a
day, but when you decide to be in love you can only decide to be in love with
one person once in your lifetime. You commit and you hold on to that decision.
And when you turn your back on that decision, it means you were never in love
in the first place.

LOVE should never fade. Because when it does, it means
it’s just an emotion. LOVE will never fade because a decision, once done, is something you stand up for and fight for
– no matter what.

What does “I Love You” mean? Some people find it easy to
say the words but what really matters is being ready to stand up for it when
you say those words. Are you ready to face all the consequences after saying
those magical words? If you can say “I love you” long after all the tough
times, all the good times, and after all the words that comes hurting you, then
the meaning of those words becomes real.

Of course I still believe in those words…but I myself am
afraid to say them. I know there will come a time when I won’t be afraid of
those words coming out of my mouth. When I will be strong enough to fight for
love – again. And I can say the words “no matter what.”

Saying “I Love You” is a major decision’s in one’s life.  sacreThose words should be sacred, should be kept in your heart until you are ready
to commit, to fight for that feeling and to stand by those words.

Is love a product of DESTINY? No, I believe there’s no
such thing as destiny. DESTINY can actually be a coincidence, it can actually
be a wrong sign of some turn of events.

I believe that destiny is likewise a product of your
choice. You choose your destiny. Thus if love is a product of destiny, then you
choose to love, you decide to love. Your destiny is the path that you choose to
take.

“I guarantee there that there will be tough times… “

Going back to the movie line that made everyone sigh: yes, it is a decision to commit, it is a decision to love. And when you decide to
love, you should realize that there will be tough times and there will come a
time when you would want to get out. And when you realize that love comes with
all things good or bad, then you know what LOVE really is.

Posted: 6:03 AM (Manila Time) | May
09, 2004
By Joe D’ Mango
Inquirer News Service

Getting over love
"The best part of being in love with someone is being convinced that that
person will be with us  forever. Most of us start relationship believing in the
promise of love without end. Unfortunately, not all relationships end the way
we want them to. To some, love comes in a fleeting moment and goes just as
fast. But getting over the feeling always seems to take a lifetime, because the
only person  who can heal the pain is usually the very same person who hurt us
and made us cry. Sometimes just as we are about to accept the failure of our
relationship, that person comes back to us and unknowingly destroys our
defenses. Suddenly, we find ourselves hooked on love again. And it hurts even
more because we know that person doesn’t share the same feeling anymore. Even
if there is the urge to forget because it hurts, there would always be that
compelling reason to hope for love to come back. It is like waiting for the sun
to shine in the middle of a storm. The love that brings us pain should be the
same love that would heal our hearts. When you love so much that it begins to hurt, then you have to learn to let go to lessen your pain. Love hurts, and sometimes
it hurts like there is no tomorrow. But there still is and there will always be
one. No matter how battered and stricken we have been, there will always be a
tomorrow that will bring hope and love. But that tomorrow will never come
unless we leave the past behind and live today as we should. Let the pain
remain for a while and let the tears fall as they please. Then after all that, move on and find your place in this world where you will feel that everything
is going to be all right."

In life, there are two choices: to move forward or
to stagnate. If you want to move forward, you have to turn your back from the
past and face the present and the future with your eyes wide open.
You do not leave your other foot stuck in the past.
If you do, you are immobilized and your failures will hold your back. You are
left to cope with “what ifs” “should haves” and a file of regrets. Nothing
changes and when you feel this way, you start to believe that nothing will
change.
If you sincerely want to change, you drop the anger,
the pain, the disappointment and sad experience behind you. It is hard to leave
the past. It is difficult to forgive and forget the people who may have hurt
you but you have to do it for your own peace of mind. If you truly want to be
free, you mentally close the door of the past firmly behind you and open
another door to freedom.
When you leave your past behind, you don’t carry
over into your present life a mental chart of the things or actions other
people did to you. You do not spend three hours a day wringing your hands and
trying to understand why the unfortunate incident happened. You do not moan
over the unfair judgment passed on to you. What you do, if you want to get
positively even, is to make your life so successful that your enemies will
wonder how you recovered so fast! As one writer says, LIVING WELL is the best
revenge. Our life is determined by the choices we make. We
make or break our lives. Sometimes we come out unscathed. Usually, we don’t.
Now it is up to us to mend our torn selves and put them back to pieces. Only
when this is done can we say that we are free from the negative misleading
past.
Again, as one writer pointed out, Life can be
understood backwards; but it must be lived forward.

ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Especially for you…I wanna let you know what I was going through…All the time we were apart…I thought of you…You were in my heart…My love never changed…I still feel the same

.Especially for you…I wanna tell you I was feeling that way too…And if dreams were wings, you know…I would have flown to you…To be where you are…No matter how far…And now that I’m next to you…No more dreaming about tomorrow…Forget the loneliness and the sorrow…I’ve got to say…It’s all because of you…And now we’re back together, together…I wanna show you my heart is oh so true…And all the love I have is Especially for you…Especially for you…I wanna tell you, you mean all the world to me…How I’m certain that our love was meant to be…You changed my life…You showed me the way…And now that I’m next to you…I’ve waited long enough to find you…I wanna put all the hurt behind you…And I wanna bring out all the love inside you,…No more dreaming about tomorrow…Forget the loneliness and the sorrow…I’ve got to say…It’s all because of you.

TELL ME WHERE IT HURTS
Why is that sad look in your eyes…Why are you
crying?…Tell me now, tell me now…Tell me, why you’re feelin’ this way…I
hate to see you so down, oh baby!…Is it your heart…Oh, that’s breakin’ all
in pieces…Makin’ you cry…Makin’ you feel blue…Is there anything that I
can do…Why don’t you tell me where it hurts now, baby…And I’ll do my best
to make it better…Yes, I’ll do my best to make the tears all go away…Just
tell me where it hurts…Now, tell me And I love you with a love so tender…Oh
and if you let me stay…I’ll love all of the hurt away…Where are all those
tears coming from…Why are they falling?…somebody, somebody, somebody leave
your heart in the cold…You just need somebody to hold on, baby…(Give me a
chance)…To put back all the pieces…Take hold of your heart…Make it just
like new…There’s so many things that I can do…Is it your heart…Oh, that’s
breakin’ all in pieces…Makin’ you cry…Makin’ you feel blue…Is there
anything that I can do.

SA KANYA
Namulat ako at ngayo’y
nag-iisa…Pagkatapos ng ulan…Bagama’t nakalipas na ang mga sandali….Ay
nagmumuni kung ako’y nagwagi…Pinipilit mang sabihin na ito’y wala sa
akin…Ngunit bakit hanggang ngayon, nagdurugo pa rin…Sa kanya pa rin babalik
sigaw, ng damdamin…Sa kanya pa rin sasaya, bulong ng puso ko…Kung buhay pa
ang alaala ng ating nakaraan…Ang pagmamahal at panahon alay pa rin sa
kanya…At sa hatinggabi ay nag-iisa na lang…Ay minamasdan ang larawan
mo…At ngayo’y bumalik nang siya’y kapiling pa…Alaala ng buong
magdamag…Kung sakali mang isipin na ito’y wala sa akin…Sana’y dinggin ang
tinig kong nag-iisa pa rin…Ang pagmamahal at panahon alay pa rin…Sa kanya.

A LITTLE BIT
I was kinda hesitant to tell
you…Should I let you know…I was never really like this before…Need I say
more…Or maybe I’m confused when you are
near me…I don’t know what to do or I should be…There’s only one thing in my
mind…That’s you and me…I’m a little bit of crazy…I’m a little bit of a
fool…I’m a little bit of lonely…I’m a little bit of all…Oh, I need a
cure…Just a little bit of you…And I will fall…I’m always on the run to
see you…Would you allow me to…It wasn’t my attention to hurt you…This
feeling is true…Or maybe I’m confused when you are near me…I don’t know
what to do or I should be…There’s only one thing in my mind…That’s you and
me.

I MISS YOU
Everyday and every night, this feeling I’d fight…Try
as I might but I won’t win, I surrender, I’d die…You are winning here
alright…Every morning when the sun would shine on me…I’d flash a smile but
deep inside…I feel so sad and lonely…I need you here and now…I miss
you…It’s crazy to pretend that I don’t think of you…The more this feeling
just seems to grow and grow…I miss you…Oh how much longer can I hold on
to…Maybe you can come and tell me that you miss me too…Miss you…All I
want is for this love to last forever…You walked away, never came back, oh I
tried to recover…I can’t bear it boy alright…When I hear a song that we had
used to share…I’ll try as I might to hide the tears, and when the pain is
over…I’ll wish that you are near…I miss you…It’s crazy to pretend that I
don’t think of you…The more this feeling just seems to grow and grow…i miss you.

EVERY LITTLE THING (he does is magic)
Though I tried before to tell him…All the feelings I have for him in my heart…Everytime that I come near him…I just loose my nerve as I’ve done from the start…Coz every little thing he does is magic…Every thing he does just turns me on…Even though my life before was tragic…Now I know my love for him goes on…Do I have to tell the story…Of the thousand rainy days since we first met…It’s a big enough umbrella…But it’s always me who ends up getting wet…I resolve to call him up…A thousand times a day…And ask him if he’ll marry me…In some old fashioned way…But my silent fears have gripped me…Long before I reached the phone..Long before my tongue has stripped me…Must I always be alone…Every little thing…Every little thing he does…Every little thing he does is magic, magic, magic.

"My name is Maximus
Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the North, general of the Felix
legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a
murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this
life or the next."
- MAXIMUS (Russell Crowe) in Gladiator (2000)

"And one day, not long
from now, my looks will go. They will discover I can’t act, and I will become
some sad middle-aged woman who looks a bit like someone who was famous for a
while."
- ANNA SCOTT (Julia Roberts) in Notting Hill (1999) 

"Hey, don’t knock
masturbation. It’s sex with someone I love."
- ALVY SINGER (Woody Allen) in Annie
Hall (1977)

"Love your suit."
- HANNIBAL LECTER (Anthony Hopkins) in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

"When I first saw you, I
thought you were handsome. Then, of course, you spoke."
- CAROL CONNELLY (Helen Hunt) in As Good As It Gets (1997)

"You can’t handle the truth!"
-COLONEL JESSUP (Jack Nicholson) in A Few Good Men (1992)

"You had me at
hello."
- DOROTHY BOYD (Renee Zellweger) in Jerry Maguire (1996)

"Life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get."
TOM HANKS in Forrest Gump (1994)

take in air! i told myself. so what if i’m short of sleep tonite. all I need is survive this first and difficult day. am not sure if my favorite mantra such as "this too shall pass" and "i will survive" will do wonders to get me through the initial shock and pain. but I should take into account that i need to congratulate myself for being human: It is only when I open myself to love that my heart can break.

…again am
into asking, how long will this last?  How long before this empty feeling
fade away? I try not to think about it too much.  But it keeps coming
back…again am gasping. How long am I going to feel this way? I know there’s no
easy fix- it’s the harsh reality when you are feeling heaviness and sadness.
Can redecorating/re-arranging my room help me in bouncing
back that easy? Shall I spoil myself? Get a new hairstyle? Have a spa? Buy a
whole cake from Red Ribbon and pig-out? I don’t know if am really dealing with
the pain…or am just masking it.

composed by KyKo Pagong

composed by AZRAEL

Memorable Quotes from
City of Angels (1998)

Seth: Why do people cry?
Maggie: What do you mean?
Seth: I mean… what happens physically?
Maggie: Well… umm… tear ducts operate on a normal basis to lubricate and protect the eye and when you have an emotion they overreact and create tears.
Seth: Why? Why do they overreact?
Maggie: [pause] I don’t know.
Seth: Maybe… maybe emotion becomes so intense your body just can’t contain it. Your mind and your feelings become too powerful… and your body weeps.