The love month that I wish never ended
Stories like these remind us that love is not measured by wealth, comfort, or grand gestures.
Daily TribuneStories like these remind us that love is not measured by wealth, comfort, or grand gestures.
Last February was not only one for the books, it felt like one for the library.
I intentionally designed the entire month — coincidentally also my birth month — to celebrate love through a series of simple but meaningful Hakhak Grocery Challenges. What unfolded was not just games or activities, but stories that were deep, quiet stories of couples who chose love every day despite life’s many trials.
Their stories reminded me that love is rarely loud. Most often, it is patient, hardworking, and quietly enduring.
Take Kuya Wilson and Sharon. For 25 years, they built a life together through faith, sacrifice and determination. When Wilson came into Sharon’s life, she already had five children. Many would have walked away from such a responsibility, but Wilson chose to stay. With their small store, they worked day and night, eventually sending all their children to college. It was not an easy road, but love made the burden lighter.
Then there are Nanay Miguella and Tatay Ime, whose love story spans 41 years. Their journey began in Misamis Occidental in Mindanao and found its footing decades ago in Baclaran. They once sold water by the pail just to survive. From a humble capital of only P1,500, they slowly built a sari-sari store that now sustains their family. Today, they are older, their hair is grey, but their smiles remain bright, proof that love, when nurtured through hardship, grows even stronger with time.
Equally inspiring are Nanay Melma and Tatay Noel, who have shared 30 years of life together. For much of that time, they lived on land they did not own, raising five children while struggling to make ends meet. Their first sari-sari store began with only five cans of sardines on the shelf. Yet through perseverance and unwavering partnership, their sacrifices bore fruit. Today, two of their children are working students in Taiwan, bringing renewed hope to their family.
Stories like these remind us that love is not measured by wealth, comfort, or grand gestures. It is measured by sacrifice, patience and the courage to keep choosing each other every day.
I am deeply grateful to these couples who generously shared their journeys of love, perseverance and faith. Their stories inspired many others as well. During the love month alone, engagements on my Facebook page reached 2.7 million — clear proof that people are hungry for stories that remind us about what truly matters.
Indeed, love remains the greatest force that binds families and communities together.
As it is written in 1 Corinthians 13:7: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
May we carry the lessons of February far beyond the calendar. Because love, the kind that builds families, strengthens communities, and inspires hope should never be confined to just one month.
In truth, the love month is the one I wish never ended.