The true importance of family
“All you need is love!” —The Beatles
Throughout my holiday season, the overarching theme was celebrating love. Being surrounded by family no doubt helped bring in so much love, peace, and gratitude—the perfect cocktail to reflect on all that has transpired, and to ring in the new year. While it was our first holiday season without our dear Poplex, who passed last Nov. 15 and had his 40th day right on Christmas, we chose to reframe our sadness and instead celebrate a year that taught us the true importance of family.
And there was truly lots to celebrate! In the last quarter of 2024, three of my nieces gave birth to healthy babies: new mom Franchesca Imperial-Horibata with a beautiful baby girl, and Yanna Fong-Barandiaran and Kyla Olives-Laurel, both had their second babies, both their first boys!
With last year’s Year of the Dragon being the most auspicious and popular choice for giving birth and for weddings, our family also celebrated two weddings in 2024. The most recent, right in between Christmas and the New Year, was the wedding of my nephew Nico Laurel Uichico to his longtime girlfriend Fritz Mortel. They tied the knot at the Bella Rosa Gardens in Silang on Dec. 29, after nine years of dating.
On the outside the couple couldn’t seem more different: Fritz is a creative personality, independent, and—in the words of her now-husband—not that athletic, while Nico is an athlete with a head for numbers and a passion for Japanese monster films (which could be seen in the stitched detailing of Godzilla on his barong Tagalog). But together, they just work. They smooth out the rough edges of each other’s personalities and help each other grow into better people.
As a makeup artist, Fritz has been part of the wedding industry for over a decade, and the friends she’s made during that time all stepped in to help make her special day a reality. Despite the rain, their special day was so full of love.
Their wedding coordinator Kiss the Girl Events helped a great deal in ensuring all guests had umbrellas, as they navigated the route from the chapel, to cocktails, and eventually to the reception. The guests also received souvenir photos from Pearl Studios, a keepsake to remember the celebrations.
Quality time
The married couple wanted every part of their wedding to contain personal touches relevant to their story, to share the warmth and joy to all their guests. The small touches—like the personalized souvenirs, beer pong tables, and crossword games—all gave guests time and space to bond with one another. And for a wedding with many ex-athletes in attendance, it presented opportunities to exercise their competitive spirits. This fun-loving energy carried over to the reception, where host Mike Acuna ran games and kept the enthusiasm and engagement at a high—which is why the after-party went into the early hours of the next morning.
After the wedding, my family decided to stay in Tagaytay, instead of driving all the way back to Manila. We so enjoyed the crisp, foggy air and quality time with one another. It had been a while since I took a trip with just my kids and my grandkids, so I really appreciated being surrounded by all their love and laughter.
My kids, Tyrone, Jordan, and Athena, took my grandkids Louie and Naiara to Tagaytay a day earlier, so they could have more time to play in the Highlands Sports Complex—riding horses, going fishing, playing mini golf and bowling. After some much needed rest and recuperation from the wedding festivities, we all drove to Tali Beach in Batangas, where we were spending our new year celebrations—this time with the whole Marixi Prieto clan!
After Poplex’s sudden passing, my siblings and I chose to rearrange our separate holiday schedules and instead spend it together, rallying around Mamarixi to make sure that she has a strong support system and all the love that she needs.
We spent the last day of the year in Santelmo Cove, also known as “Little Boracay,” one of 13 private coves along Hamilo Coast. We had lunch together, took family photos, and played some beach volleyball. A few others went snorkeling out to see the giant clams, a beautiful marine organism that is sadly threatened with extinction due to overharvesting and habitat loss. Giant clams can grow to weigh more than 200 kilograms, and if protected from human threats, can have a lifespan between 100 and 200 years.
Introspection
We went back to Little Boracay on the first day of the new year to have more time bonding at this beautiful private cove. This time, I joined my daughter Jordan as she took a few of her cousins out to see the giant clams again. As a free diver, she was able to swim down to film them on her GoPro, and you can see some footage on her Instagram (@banannika).
In-between our sun-filled beach days, we also took the time to sit down with one another and reflect on the past, realign our goals, and reconnect with ourselves and with each other. The languid days leading up to the new year are always the perfect time for introspection, gratitude, and celebration. It is vital to pause to appreciate the year we have had, so that we can make better plans for what we want in the year to come. It is the time to rejuvenate, get inspired, and get into the right mindsets.
When you surround yourself with people you love and who love you, the positive energy is infectious and spreads into every aspect of your life. Having a strong support system means not just people who will pick you up when you’re down, but also people who are there to help you manifest your dreams, surpass your goals, and celebrate your wins.
Of course, the support we have is only as good as the personal effort we put in ourselves. It is just as important to keep showing up every single day and continue being persistent. There is a reason people say, “Consistency is key!” It’s true for work, and just as true in our relationships as well.
As we all get back into the groove of work and the “real life” outside of the holidays, always remember to check in with your loved ones and make the conscious effort to spend quality time with them, no special occasion needed. Love grows where you water it.
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