Reflection (PRE-CANA SEMINAR)

It was a Saturday and I needed to be up by 5:00 in the morning and leave the condo at 6:00 to meet my other two blockmates and leave school by 7:00. I anticipated another tiring day plus it fell on a weekend. “Great,” I thought to myself as we walked to the LRT station, “I'm going to be tired by the end of the day and the coming week is expected to be, again, stressful.” I have to stay positive and think that that day's going to be just fine. I'm pretty sure my friends can lift up this little tired soul through the day, I hope.

When we reached the Sto. Nino Church in Tondo, Manila, I remember to make a wish. I didn't exactly wish for a happy ending. That would be cheesy and I guess far from what I was feeling that day. I was feeling a little uneasy, besides from feeling tired. I was thinking that because we'll be attending a pre-cana seminar, everyone will just be talking about love and the married life for that whole day. I wished for a power to vanish when I need to take a break from all those. I snapped back to reality, I was just starting to be positive and I found myself stressing on the same concern again.

When I first entered the venue, I was drowned in the crowd of happy couples. I needed to shift my thoughts into being happy for them. I know I just had a bitter ending but I can't be bitter forever. That day can be the start of feeling happy for others.

The seminar took a whole day to finish and I might have dozed off on some parts of the seminar. However, I felt that the couples present during the seminar was enjoying every topic. I realized that maybe when that time comes when it's my time to have that pre-cana seminar again (with my future husband), I'll be able to be delighted in every talk that they'll be giving.

The talk on effective communication made me realize how important it is in maintaining a relationship and keeping the couple together. A person may start to believe in gossip. However, it is important that that person should start thinking more deeply and reflect on the consequences if ever he or she believes the gossip. It can ruin the whole relationship even though it might seem like a little insignificant to be talked or discussed about.

The pre-cana also discussed about contraceptives and natural family planning. My thought on that was it was helpful to the couples because soon they are going to decide on how they are going to have their family. Although contraceptives are not fully approved by a lot of people especially Filipinos, because of their religious values, I think that it is essential for the couples to be educated on contraceptives and their effects.

The whole pre-cana seminar gave me an insight that it takes a matured and responsible person to decide when choosing to be in the path of married life. It is not simply because a person doesn't want to be alone forever but more on being ready to accept and live with a person who was once a stranger in your life. It's amazing how one becomes a family from being just an acquaintance. Maybe love does move in mysterious ways. However, I still don't want to accept that successful relationships should be left on fate. It takes effort for a couple to stay together and stay happy.

The pre-cana seminar might have caused me to sleep on some schoolwork for that night but then again, the experience was worth it especially because my friends and I were able to pick on some inspiration from the talks and the happy couples. I hope I can always share their happiness.