In a world where “walang forever” and love stories often come and go like fleeting whispers, there emerges a tale that has been meticulously crafted over three decades. It’s a story that transcends mere romance, delving deep into the intricacies of commitment, endurance, and the remarkable journey that is marriage.
After an extensive five-year effort, Anthony Pangilinan and Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan proudly present Marriage Is a Marathon. The book encapsulates their journey before and after tying the knot, as well as their family’s journey as the running Team Pangilinan.
It serves as a mutual present exchanged between the couple themselves, as well as a heartfelt offering to those who have shared in their journey through the highs and lows of a three-decade-long marriage.
“You’ve been part of our grueling marathon that’s why we’ve doing it this way,” said Anthony during a media conference for the book held in San Juan City last week.
“We intended to launch the book on our 25th wedding anniversary but we got just got so busy,” Maricel said in turn.
Her husband butted in quickly and said in jest, “I think we wanted to separate every other year, sa totoo lang, which is what you wanted to do in a marathon, you want to quit every mile. But somehow you realize that it’s worth taking risks.”
During the marathon, they often felt like quitting, but thoughts of their excited children waiting at the finish line kept them going. Sometimes, physical discomfort was strong, but the kids’ anticipation mattered more. Their children made the journey meaningful. This mirrored their relationship struggles.
Remembering their positive faces, they knew giving up wasn’t an option.
Both have seventeen 42.2km marathons between them and several Ironman triathlon experiences. Four of their five kids were active Ironkids competitors throughout their childhood.
“We are far from perfect. We often see that a lot in our journey as a couple. There were so many times that we question each other if we would continue or not, then we remember those faces, the faces of our children, then we realized that we don’t want to fail them,” Maricel shared.
The couple shared that amidst relationship challenges, their strong bond persists due to their commitment to sharing emotions and working on issues together. They emphasized keeping most struggles private and resolving them between themselves, then sharing the lessons learned with others, avoiding airing private matters publicly.
“Most of the things we go through, we go through privately. We don’t announce it to everyone. We have agreed to sort out these things within ourselves. And these lessons we learned, we share with others. Nothing to sort out in the public,” Maricel said.
With eight chapters, anticipate a practical perspective on marriage, delving into its authentic trials, pivotal insights on fostering resilience, and most importantly, strategies for not just survival, but flourishing.
Anthony and Maricel have been married for 30 years and have five children: Ella, Donny, Hannah, Benj, and Solana.
“We’ve seen through 30 years that people are so excited to have their grand weddings, but not so much giving their time and effort to prepare for the wedding, which is the day after the wedding. The wedding is just one day; marriage is forever,” Maricel said.
“And we see that in all our lessons from running marathons worldwide. [Marriage also] takes a lot of preparation. You will also see science through preparing, training, and recovering. And you need all the help you can get along the way,” she added.
The couple’s first book is Sabi Ni Mister, Sabi Ni Misis, published in 2014. The book is now available on Shopee and Lazada for P499. More details are available on Anthony and Maricel’s website.