Technologically apt kids and
kids at heart these days just have a different dictionary all together. Their
vocabulary often consist of abbreviated terms such as BAE (before anyone else,
yes, it’s not short for babe) while others are your typical English words but
bested with completely different meanings such as: basic (which means you’re
ordinary), #blessed (you will be surprised that this often denotes sarcasm),
and shade (means you totally went there in
insulting another person).
One of my most favorite
terms belong to the younger set is phrase “ride
or die” as in used to depict a loyal significant other (think Beyonce &
Jayz). In youngster speak, ride or die literally means being there through it
all: good times, bad times, sickness, health, in the limelight, and when you’re
out of it. It’s basically a vow that means your significant other won’t leave
when things aren’t as comfortable as you want them to be.
In the world of quick “fame”
due to social media, more and more kiddos are taking this term to heart and
making sure that their significant others are of ride or die caliber (it could
also be because it’s a really catchy caption to put on Facebook).
While some look to
celebrities for inspiring ride or die tales, I don’t have to look too far. In
fact, I’m blessed (with no hashtag sarcasm) to witness it everyday through the
love story of my parents. My parents recently celebrated their 28th
wedding anniversary and in my dad’s line of work, that is a very long time.
Their love story is a unique one considering that they’re polar opposites: my
mom born and raised koliheyala from
Manila without any idea about basketball and my dad, born and raised in far
flung Cebu. The story of how they met is also quite exciting and serendipitous
at best, making me believe that happily ever afters do exist.
However, growing up in the
reality of the said love story also exposed me to the truth that perfect love
stories only exist in books and just like anything else in life, take hard
work, dedication, and commitment.
My parents’ twenty-eight year love story denotes “ride or die” through and through. My mom stood by my dad’s side during the years of injury, his retirement from playing basketball professionally in 1995, and the adjustments that soon followed. When the lights were dimmed and my dad hung his jersey to move to a new chapter of his career, my mom was there with even more love than she had when she first met him. My dad through the years has also shown loyalty to the woman he has chosen and this has become the foundation of their solid relationship. As a famous song goes, you get back what you put out.
In a world that constantly hungers
for fame, power, and money, it can be quite easy to associate love with what
you can get from your partner. But a true ride or die partner shows you that
true love has nothing to do with what you do for a living or how many people
call out your name. The fame, power, and screaming fans (and groupies) go away,
but one thing remains: true love.
True love isn’t constantly
asking what’s in it for me, but instead seeks to make the other person better
and decides to be there through it all. It is patient, it is kind, and most
importantly, it is not self-seeking. It’s the kind of love that makes you feel
secured knowing that no matter what tomorrow brings and whether or not you
fail, it will still be there guiding you quietly and bravely telling you that
the best is yet to come despite what today looks like.
It’s the kind of love I aspire to give and also inspires me to be the kind of woman my mom is: loyal and a true ride or die chick through and through.
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