To Hubby, With Love

It’s Valentine’s Day today and I thought I’d pay a little tribute to the man in my life – my husband.

I remember vividly the first night I met him. I was out with my friends as usual after work on a Friday of May 2001, sipping beer at a local pub during the last hour of Happy Hour when he appeared. He was a friend of my friend’s who had been invited to join us for a drink. Our friend introduced us. He handed me his name card. I had none to give him in return but he knew me as someone who shared a common friend with him. Coming from my side of the story, I have to admit that I was charmed by his handsome and slightly Pan-Asian look. Incidentally, this song was playing in the background:

Everybody's got something they had to leave behind
One regret from yesterday that just seems to grow with time
There's no use looking back or wondering
How it could be now or might have been
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go


I've never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I've moved on
You'll always be my baby
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be with you


Somewhere in my memory
I've lost all sense of time
and tomorrow can never be cos yesterday is all that fills my mind
There's no use looking back or wondering
How it should be now or might have been
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go


I've never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I've moved on
You'll always be my baby
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be


You'll always be the dream that fills my head
Yes you will, say you will, you know you will
Oh baby, you'll always be the one I know I'll never forget
There's no use looking back or wondering
Because love is a strange and funny thing
No matter how I try and try I just can't say goodbye
No no no no


I've never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I've moved on
You'll always be my baby
I never found the words to say (words to say)
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be
A part of me will always be with you

We enjoyed ourselves tremendously that night and hung out occasionally thereafter, usually meeting up during Happy Hours. Soon, we got to know each other a bit better but neither of us made any move to bring anything to the next level as we were both already seeing someone else, though my relationship bit the dust not long after.

Feeling devastated and depressed, I sought greener pastures in KL. There, I had a few jobs, met a few guys and went out with a couple of them but none worked out. I walked out on the first after a couple of months and the second, well, let’s just say the second was a relationship that was never meant to be right from the start. Perhaps I’d go into detail some other time or perhaps not, given the extent of hurt and misery. But that’s a different story.

Let’s get back to the original story about how my husband became my husband. Our friendship continued even after I had moved to KL. I would call him up for a drink each time I was back in Ipoh. He would call me up for a drink whenever he was down in KL for meetings. He would call me often just to chit-chat. Funny thing was whenever I heard Never Had A Dream Come True being played over the radio, I would definitely be receiving a call from him later in the day. We could talk for hours on end.

Overtime, we learned that we were both single again and he eventually made the first move. But before we got into anything serious, he made it clear to me that he’s not a rich man’s son. He did not have all the C’s that every girl dream her guy would have. The only “C” that he had at that time was a car. He mentioned that he didn’t think I was the kind of girl who would care. He just wanted to make sure I knew about his family’s background as he got belittled and dumped by his ex-girlfriend when she found out (she then got together with a pocketful-of-cash-filthy-rich-guy but “realized” not long after that that she wasn’t happy with the new chap and came crawling back and begging the old flame to take her back. The latter rejected her outright. Served her right, me thinks, which incidentally reminded me of this – “What he hath lost, the noble Macbeth hath gained”. Yes, I have indeed gained what she has lost. Haha). I perfectly understood his predicament and made no big hoo-haa about his family’s financial well-being for what I most wanted was happiness with him. As long as he could give me happiness, I will be a very happy girl.

After about half a year, I packed my bags and moved back to Ipoh to be closer to him as I had no trust in a long distance relationship. I figured someone’s got to make some sacrifices and it should very well be me for he hated the life in KL. So did I.

Fast forward a little, destiny brought us together and we eventually settled down in 2006 after 2 years of dating. His dad – my late father in law – loved me like his own daughter. Truth be told, I cannot thank God enough for his unconditional love.

Like any other couples, we do share some things in common – like our love for animals; like how I was a free-thinker and he was a Christian and how we found peace in the Buddhist faith as we could relate to its teachings; and like our believe in karma; while having opposing opinions on others – like how he loves congee and I hate it! - but we learn to accommodate each other. Sure, we’ve had our share of moments together – sweet, happy, funny sad, angry, etc; they just serve to bind our relationship even tighter.

Over the years, he has been my pillar of strength, the one whom I will turn to for the many unbiased advices and opinions. He spoils me rotten, he loves accompanying me on my shopping sprees, he helps out with the household chores, he’s a great cook like his dad…. He just do most things that most MCPs (Male Chauvinist Pigs) feel will hurt their ego. I am thankful to have found a man who is not only my husband but also my best friend, confidant and my Fashion Guru (yes, he gives me his two cents worth and helps pick my clothes, shoes, handbags etc). Plus one whom I have managed to psycho into learning and singing Tommy Page’s songs! (He knows of my obsession with Tommy Page and thinks it’s funny!).

Perhaps this song best describes my feelings.....

It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light

Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words when I

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn't see for
Parting my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue

Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn't see
For parting my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me, yeah

Lock the doors
Leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words when I

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes oh, when I couldn't see
You parted my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Oh for loving me

Yes. Thank you for your unconditional love, hubs.

As I write this and as in my everyday prayers, I pray that the Gods will continue to keep my husband healthy, happy and safe from all harms throughout his life for he is a terrific person. He has what most men with plentiful cash, cars, condos and other whatnots do not have – a good heart.

And if anyone asks me if I have found a rich husband, I will proudly say “Yes! My husband has a good heart which is rich in good values and which money can never ever buy. That, in itself, is rich!”