30 Oct Is Her Birthday. 55 Years Of Love & Marriage & 13 Children – 1st Time I Publicly Thank My Wife Ampy For Loving Us All!

 

Still active, my wife Amparo “Ampy” Medina Reynoso is 77 this Sunday (born 30 Oct 1945). In the past weeks, we have been alone together literally in this little apartment, lovely with a small backyard of green grass and trees and flowers – and reviving cold and/or fresh air. I remember to thank God everyday!

(Photo shows Ampy at 72 (15 May 2017, via my Lumix FZ100)

History: We were working in neighboring government offices at UP Los Baños campus: I as Substitute Horticulture Lab Instructor at UPLB, she as Stenographer cum-Secretary to the Director of the Forest Products Research & Industries Development Commission (FORPRIDECOM).

We were meant for each other. I accidentally met her when I visited my girl friends (barkada) at the Revilleza Dorm sometime in 1966. It was love at first sight – on my part.

We were married 18 March 1967 by the Municipal Judge of Bay, Laguna – with 2 witnesses, her married friends at FORPRIDECOM.

This little apartment is made for love – for younger bodies!

Our lovemaking in years past gave us so much happiness and so many children – in the list below, how did I remember all those complete 13 names and exact dates? I did not – with family help, I typed the list on 27 Oct 2021 and saved it on my Lenovo. (What happened to the Stenographer/Secretary? Ampy is into browsing Facebook once in a while, that’s all.)

Cristina Marie, 14 February 1968
Jose Mario, 27 August 1969
Maria Lorena, 06 February 1971
Paul Benjamin, 11 April 1972
Teresa Leonor, 27 July 1973
Cynthia Mae, 08 April 1976
Julio Salvador, 02 July 1977
Jennifer Claire, 06 August 1979
Ernest Charles (+), 22 May 1981
Daphne Cassandra, 21 December 1983
Neenah Bonafe, 20 January 1985
Edwin Dante, 06 April 1988
Graciela Antonia, 13 June 1990

Before I forget, Ampy comes from a large family herself – while the Dionisio & Sixta Hilarios were only 3: Emilio, Frank & Brillita  – that I can easily recall. For the following list of 12, I refer to my essay that I blogged 04 Oct 2015, “Tribute To Remedios ‘Meding’ Medina Reynoso” (A Magazine Called Love, blogspot.com). “Meding” was her mother, “Gabriel” her father, whose children are/were: Elisa, Cora, Ampy, Osmundo (+), Becks, Nits (+), Boogie, Teddy, Raffy,  Louie, Rey and Olive.

So, more or less, we have been happy together for the last 55 years. No, she is not perfect – nobody’s perfect! There was a time she lost courage and asked Nanay Meding’s approval to break up our family – thanks to my mother-in-law, she told Ampy in no uncertain terms: “Pumasok ka riyan – Pangatawanan mo!” (“You got in there yourself – tough it out!”)

I thank Nanay Meding for caring about our family – I was not that loving myself.

Nobody’s perfect. Despite difficulties, we must trust God.

I don’t know why but there is no commandment to love your family. So, from me this:

Love your family much as you love yourself!@517