Mommy Growing up: Shotgun Proposal

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Shotgun Proposal

Married? Tell us the story of how the question was popped.

Wooh! Such meme from Mama Kat suddenly transported me back ten years ago at my engagement moment. So how was the question popped? Sorry to frustrate you guys but our story was not that romantic. For starters, I'm not even sure if the question was popped at all. I think it's kinda funny. The question should be, was the question popped? Hahah, please read on.

I was on my sixth year with my veterinary medicine course when I found out I was two months pregnant. Yes, two months pregnant at the beginning of my senior year. How great was that. Pregnancies out of wedlock are frowned upon by our society. Our parents and families would surely be devastated. I was beyond horrified. Confused and scared, I informed my boyfriend of my scary condition. His answer was simple "then let's get married!" That was a declaration! He didn't even pop the question. He didn't even asked me if I wonna marry him. It's the feeling of having a shotgun pointed at your face and you have no other option but to accept the proposal.

See? Told yah, not at all romantic.

With his statement, the more I got scared. I'm not yet ready. I love him but we're still kids ourselves. However, my soon-to-be-hubby was sure of his decision. He was to marry me if that's the right thing to do. He's kind of mature beyond his years. Our friends used to tease him that such was his strategy of not losing me, hmmm.

But hear me out. The problem then was how to divulge such news to our parents. A role model daughter as I was, I was scared to break the forbidding news. So I left the noble task to my poor hubby. For three days I was gone for a field trip on an island with my colleagues, an overnight ferry ride away from home. He was left to resolve our grave problem alone (he's the sweetest and obviously I'm the meanest haha). When he told his parents about  our serious problem, surprisingly, they took the news calmly and understood our situation.

Then they visited my parents and dropped the bomb themselves. Imagine how my mom reacted. She was hysterical. My father was speechless. I can't imagine how awkward the situation might be. It's their first time to meet each other and what a great way to finally meet, huh? However, my parents managed to survive the blow. They believed that everything will be alright. That their daughter will surely finish her studies and become a veterinarian someday. That we will survive such sudden transition in our lives. Knowing what everybody had gone through (and I was a coward), I was really touched and kind of felt at peace with the situation and less scared of getting married too soon.


In our Filipino culture, we have the stage before marriage called "pamanhikan", where the groom-to-be formally asks the hands of his wife-to-be from her parents for marriage. My boyfriend's family and relatives invaded our home few days later and the wedding date was set. Hence, we were officially engaged. I was then 21 and hubby was 22 years old. The wedding was held two months later in our city's cathedral  followed by a grand reception at the hotel. And the feeling? I was like floating all through out in the midst of a whirlwind, from the wedding preparations to the wedding ceremony. I survived.

Overall, though the marriage proposal was not at all that romantic, we ended up so inlove with each other. We made the right choice. And now, we got two beautiful daughters who further strengthened the bond. Though our relationship has its ups and downs, we worked it out and maintained the romance in our lives. Last month, we celebrated our tenth year wedding anniversary. Yes we did it and pretty survived the odds. As for the romantic part? I'm still waiting for my diamond ring, wondering when my husband can finally afford it lol.

This post was inspired by the fabulous Mama Kat's meme.

9 comments:

  1. HA! Very interesting story...but the important part really is that you guys are still together and still in love! I love love!!! Wedding days always go by so fast...even for couples who actually take the time to plan everything out...do you really ever have enough time for one of THE most important days of your life? I passed a blog award to you on my blog!
    http://lettingyougrow.blogspot.com

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  2. I love it...so honest! I can't believe your husband and his parents told your family...he is a keeper for sure!

    :) maybe that Diamond will come on your 25th...it should be nice and BIG by then...LOL!

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  3. This was great! I love how the advertisement in the left margin was a DIAMOND!! Glad you're so happy! Great story.

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  4. I love how marriages and families start in all kinds of ways, and I love hearing stories like yours where something 'non-traditional' worked out.

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  5. hahaha I was holding my breath on the "revelation" part! if I were watching it on a player, i surely would've push the PAUSE button on that part...nice one!

    congrats on your 10 years of marriage...it is surely an achievement already...

    well, with regards to the diamonds remember the song "If I ain't got YOU"--Some people want it all......forward to...some people want diamonds rings,some just want everything, but everything means nothing IF I AINT GOT YOU!- o db sweet?

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  6. This is a great getting-to-know-you post. I enjoyed the story, too.

    Mr.4444 and I were together six years before he finally quit stalling and agreed to get married. The minute we had tied the knot, though, he was an immediate convert, and we've been a very happily married couple for 21 years now. Just goes to prove you don't need a romantic proposal to be happy together forever :)

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  7. Great post! My story is just as "not romantic" lol. But you guys are still together, that's what is important!

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  8. at least it turned out okey and i bet you are happy with him,

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