Part 2: The first time our souls recognized each other
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 6 Nov) — I’m Limeya, and this is Part 2 of our journey from American comfort to Philippine sunshine, from fear to faith. If you missed the first part, scroll down to read how two families planted the roots of courage that shaped our story.
We met in Texas, of all places, in a room full of noise, laughter, and people talking over each other. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t even supposed to happen that day. But then, across that sea of people, our eyes met. It was one of those rare, quiet moments when time seems to slow down. He saw me, I saw him, and something inside both of us just stilled.
Before I knew it, he was walking towards me, steady and sure, like he’d been doing it all his life. He smiled, introduced himself, and started talking, simple words, but something in his voice felt familiar, almost like home. That was the beginning of everything.
What followed was laughter, long drives, lunch dates, and late-night talks that stretched into sunrise. We talked about everything, the kind of conversations that make you feel both seen and safe. I was six years younger, and after two years we decided to get married. People talked, of course. “He must have gotten her pregnant,” they whispered. But no, it wasn’t scandal. It was LOVE. The pure, confusing, can’t-eat-can’t-sleep kind of love that doesn’t make sense to everyone, but feels undeniably right to you.
From the beginning, Harry and I felt a pull toward each other we couldn’t explain. He wanted to protect me, even before he understood why. But years later, in 2018, my grandmother, Mommy Alice, looked at me with her wise, gentle eyes and said, “Harry’s spirit knew you were the one the moment he saw you. His heart just needed time to agree.”
Mommy Alice had always lived a life steeped in prayer. Before I was even born, she prayed for everything, my future, my husband, even my character. She used to laugh and say, “I prayed for everything except your ears!” She modeled what it looked like to walk and talk with God all day long, humming hymns while cooking, praying while sweeping, thanking Him even while waiting. She taught me that faith isn’t a moment; it’s a rhythm.
Because of her, I learned early on that love, like prayer, isn’t coincidence, it’s calling. It’s God’s way of weaving two lives together with threads of purpose.
That moment with her tied a ribbon between past and present, a reminder that God writes our stories long before we ever step into them.
Lesson and Takeaway:
In the quiet corners of your heart, love whispers truths that logic can’t always hear. When that gentle pull draws you toward someone or something meaningful, lean in, even if others don’t understand. The world might question, but peace is its own confirmation. One day, you’ll look back and see that every whisper was God leading you home. What quiet whisper is guiding you today? Share it with me.
Part 3: Eight Hours That Changed Everything
(Limeya first posted this on her Facebook account, republished with permission. Limeya moved back to the Philippines three years ago since migrating to the US in 2004. Now based in Cagayan de Oro City, she busies herself as a doting home maker to her three children and entrepreneur husband while baking pastries on the side.)