One of the good things about being married to a person with disability (PwD) is that I can talk to my husband, Jared, objectively about disability and chronic illness. We often have conversations about it, and we aren’t afraid of self-criticism. In fact, we value it for the sake of…
HemoWife - a Column by Allyx Formalejo
Two weekends ago, my husband, Jared, had a lengthy bleeding episode. It happened after a fun Father’s Day trip to the zoo with our baby girl, Cittie, and our nanny. We had a wonderful time filled with several firsts since pandemic lockdowns eased, including our first time out of the…
A few years ago, I took one notebook from my stationery collection and wrote on its first page: “My Official Book of Mistakes.” In this notebook, I was supposed to write the mistakes I made in business so that I would work hard on not repeating them while moving forward.
My dear husband, I won’t do everything for you. I may take on some of your physical responsibilities when your body says “no for now,” but I’ll leave you to do all the thinking and strategizing you can do for our family. You may have hemophilia and a seizure disorder,…
In the past few weeks, I haven’t been feeling as productive as I normally do in terms of work. In fact, as I type this, I’m sitting in front of my brand-new work desk in a sports top and ripped jeans — not my usual outfit when I’m…
Over the past couple of weeks, my husband, Jared, and I have been fully occupied with home improvements. We did a complete revamp of our bedroom, from repainting the walls to changing our old and deteriorating bed. We also replaced other furniture that was falling apart or no longer…
Lately, my husband, Jared, and I have been working on home improvement goals. Since the pandemic lockdowns began, couples all over the Philippines have been boasting of their improved homes. With many employees now working from home, several people have both the time and the initiative to renovate and…
My husband, Jared, and I are fond of advocacy work. Our advocacy for people with chronic and mental illnesses inspires many of the things we do, including the way we run our small business. Our online jewelry store is our bread and butter, but it also is a way…
I was recently browsing social media when I randomly clicked on a suggested article titled “34 Things You Need to Give Up to Be Successful.” As an entrepreneur, I get lots of suggested links to articles about success in business and life. I reflected upon what I had just…
My husband, Jared, and I are quiet, introverted people. We’re both averse to noisy crowds and overstimulating activities. Our idea of a good time is immersing ourselves in hobbies or getting away to a weekend nature retreat. Although my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is ENFP, a personality classification that stands…
