The Power of Love

One of the best parts of my job is hearing from you. I love getting your e-mails and hearing your stories—how you met your fiancé, difficulties you overcame and what you plan to do for your wedding. Your stories are fun to read, heartwarming and often inspiring.

An e-mail I received recently is one such story. The bride-to-be, Tiana Cu-Unjieng, wrote to tell me how she never really knew her father and had “struggled to forgive him” having been born out of wedlock in the Philippines and subsequently moving as a child to Denmark with her mom to start their lives over.

In 2007, working as a producer in Copenhagen, Tiana met her future husband, Jeremy, an American filmmaker who accompanied her to the Philippines to film a documentary on a tribe living there in the jungle. Tiana wrote that this once savage tribe was now a group of loving and kind people who taught the power of forgiveness. On the trip, she confessed to Jeremy that she had never met her father and had harbored resentment toward him for many years. Still, she tried searching for him for two years with no success. So what did her wonderful future fiancé do? He secretly searched for her dad and ultimately found him. She met her father, they reconciled and Tiana “found peace at last” with forgiveness. Having planned their wedding for February 20th, she asked her dad to walk her down the aisle and he happily accepted.

It was wonderful to read Tiana’s story and to realize even more so how being in love and opening your heart can heal old wounds and inspire others to do the same. I also commend Tiana and Jeremy for choosing a venue that has a charity organization so that the amount they are paying for the venue will be contributed to the charity. “What better way to spend your money on your wedding day than to know that you are making a difference in someone else’s life?” wrote Tiana. Thank you, Tiana, for reminding us all of how important it is to give to those less fortunate whenever we can and my heartfelt congratulations on your upcoming wedding. It’s sure to be a fantastic event!

And to all of you, Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy your flowers and chocolates, or whatever treat your receive…even if it’s just the two of you sharing a quiet dinner at home. I’m sure it will be one of your best V-Days ever!

Posted by Diane at 4:57 p.m.