A Cherished Deja Vu

Weddings are overrated.

This is what I concluded when I got hitched in 1997. LOL. With all the preparations that were involved to make one's big day really stress-free I don't see myself going through the same phase and emotional cliffhanger again. Hahahaha. 

Anyway, despite this POV, I like attending weddings because of their fairy tale productions and colorful wedding traditions. In 2005, I was invited to a Muslim wedding where I witnessed the groom expressing his vows to the father of the bride before the wife-to-be finally appeared. I'm not sure if that ceremony varied from one Muslim tribe of origin and government regulations. And on October 12, 2024 I made it to a Chinese wedding. It was my first time to pop up after nonattendance in two previous invites. 

Now, why digressed from the travel and running topics which I've been writing about? Well, I wanted to put in print this major milestone of Angelica Tan (now Mrs. Melvin Lim), the “daughter” whom I've never had. Furthermore, this article will still be about "travel' or the apt word to use is "journey" of someone who became a recipient of my paying forward as a runner. 

Angie and Melvin, who's also my former student, had a Christian wedding. I'm not sure though if the order of events that I saw was really the usual parts of a Christian/Chinese nuptial. It also had the bible, rings and arras; however, it didn't have the veil and cord and other rituals which I liked because it shortened the ceremony. But my favorite part was the reading of messages by the groom and the bride for their respective parents. It moved me and thought of my three sons when they'd also decide to settle down. *sighs* After the photo-ops, the tea ceremony which was participated in by the immediate families of the newlyweds took place in a private room. It gave me an opportunity to converse with another former tutee, who was also part of the entourage, before the cocktails. 

Now, I'm certain whoever learned from the Filipino-Chinese school where I taught for 18 years that I was in attendance would conclude that the couple were really special to me. Dear readers, 'special' is an understatement. The bride, her two older siblings and her parents were beyond this descriptor. 

Proximity separated Angie and me for seven years, yet she did her best to reconnect and keep our communication regular using all frequencies. I wrote about her and her family in my previous articles as Wandering Jouster. So how can I say no to someone who valued me as her mentor, choreographer, running  partner, fellow passionate theatre enthusiast, and friend? Never in a millisecond did I feel out of place when I stepped into the ceremonial hall to witness the union of two beautiful souls that Saturday. However, what surprised me immensely was the post-wedding rites encounters. 

Upon recognizing me after the photo-op, the bride's mother warmly embraced me, kissed me on the cheek, thanked me profusely and said "I love you, teacher." Then she introduced me to her relatives in Mandarin. I only understood the word  'teacher'. I was extremely touched by the gesture and her genuine happiness because that was only our second meeting. 

Afterwards, her eldest son and the first daughter, who were both my former students (the first born, an ex-tutee), approached me. The feeling was surreal. Partly, I couldn't believe that I was now talking with these people who were part of my early life as an educator. The son has been married for five years and looked like the clever and aggressive London-schooled businessman that he is. The older daughter, a psychology degree holder from London, has been Ireland-based and I'm not sure when she'll walk down the aisle. 

Another real blast from this wedding was reuniting with one of my very first tutees. We both counted 20 years to have a photo together. He is Angie’s brother’s best friend. 

Oh, my! Oh, my! Time went by real quick. Jerwyn, this cherub-looking guy, is already getting married in January 2025! 

This wedding was indeed a reunion of sort with my SJCS (Saint Jude Catholic School) family. Seeing all these Judenites gave me a rush but beautiful rewind of my being a grade school teacher that began from these three ladies who greeted me and then recited (where I joined in) four lines from the poem "Desiderata' which I taught them in 2009...

... to a former advance summer tutee who revealed that his mom enrolled him in my class to be disciplined... *guffaws*

... and to another member of my last batch in 2010 and their class salutatorian.

My lingering smile all throughout the event said it all. Why not if Angie made sure that I would be seated with my former students from different batches with their husbands? Ha-ha!

Image Source: Angelica Tan-Lim

I was pampered with so much attention and “service” during this brief reconnection. Truly, I was grateful for making it to this affair since I personally was able to congratulate some of my previous students. My line "Wow! Congratulations! You make me very PROUD!" might have sounded like a spiel as they approached me and introduced themselves, but I was sincere and overjoyed for what they have become.