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Margaux & Chester Canonigo | February 20, 2020 to Feb 20, 2026
“It’s not sappy. It’s an ongoing ballad of love, happiness, anger, joy, little triumphs along the way, and the realistic view of what it takes to truly be with someone.”
Six years. I keep saying that number in my head and it still catches me a little off guard. Not because I’m surprised we made it — I always believed we would — but because six years sounds so solid.
So real.
And it is.
We haven’t celebrated anniversaries since we got married. I would love to change that.
So here, in writing — because this is what I do, this is how I’ve always made sense of the world — is everything
I want to say to you on our sixth.
Where It All Started
I never thought I would get married. Or at least find someone to love after failing at it one after the other. And then I met you. With your oversized smile, large eyes, and loud laugh. I fell in love immediately. I was giddy for days — probably the happiest guy in the world when we finally agreed to be a couple. That was ten years ago. Eleven if we’re being technical. Ten just sounds great though.
The most surprising thing early on? Finding out you weren’t a nurse but were actually training to take the boards to become a physician. I didn’t know until we were deep into our relationship and you casually said you were going to take the boards to become a doctor.
My first thought was: “oh no. Doctors are always busy. Do I have it in me to have a relationship with you?”
Turns out, I did.
I made changes to my life so I could be of service more — driving you to places, meeting for coffee or a meal during your breaks, being on call all the time so we could take advantage of every last second of your free time.
I think that’s what bound us strongest in the early days.
The Weight of the Years We Carried
Our five years as a couple weren’t just exciting — they were defining.
Events that rattled Mindanao shaped your career as an EMed doctor and taught me what it means to take a back seat so your career could flourish.
I actively pursued writing as a career so I could always be available to drive.
Even my band took a back seat.
I loved that you would come to our performances and take videos without being asked. And handle yourself perfectly fine in the middle of a rowdy crowd. That said a lot about you.
It took an earthquake to scare me to death.
As the gym shook and rattled at intensity 6.8, I could not take my eyes off of you — hoping and praying nothing would fall from the ceiling, unable to move.
So many times I knew I would lay my life down for you. Even when the person we were against was family. What mattered most to me was you. You and you alone.
Well — you, and me, and Lyle now.
Eden, A Perfect Day
We had our wedding at Eden. It was a great day. It didn’t rain. It was windy. All of our families were there — or at least the ones we felt had to be there to witness our bond.
The night before, Shyam wouldn’t leave your side for fear that something would happen to you, since that was when you were supposed to be shining the brightest and evil would be trying its hardest to come at you.
Maybe his prayers and protective aura paved the way for the perfect weather on our wedding day.
You picked all of your friends from your past.
I walked with a pair of friends from my past, my current, and my now. Three worlds in one procession.
Tatay, as he pinned Mommy’s photo to my chest, said quietly to her image: “You’re always in my heart.” I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten a moment more clearly than that one. I want that. I want to be a man who loves his wife so much that not even death shakes it loose.
And the vows — yours and mine — I want to keep them here too.
Yours:
“Chip, today and to all other days I say I do. Through the brightest of sunrises, through the darkest of nights, I will be your constant. I will walk with you. I will cradle your heart in my heart. You will never be alone. I will be your home.”
Mine:
“I know in my heart that I truly love you. I’m still here. I will always be here. And if we keep holding on to each other as fiercely as when we first became us, then this will truly be the day we begin.”
Why Being Married to You Matters
Marriage, at its best, is not a ceremony. It’s a daily decision. And the research — not just the romantic kind but the actual data — backs this up.
Studies consistently show that people in committed, healthy marriages live longer, report higher life satisfaction, recover better from illness, and handle stress more effectively.
For us, it’s more specific than that.
Being married to you means:
- I have a witness to my life. Someone who was there when Mindanao shook, when the band played late, when I chose to put the pen down and drive instead.
- I have a partner who grew in her calling without leaving me behind — and who let me grow in mine, even when mine looked smaller from the outside.
- I have someone who taught me that love isn’t a feeling that stays constant. It’s a practice. An ongoing ballad, as you said. Not always smooth. Not always pretty. Never easy.
- I have a home that exists in a person, not a place. Whether it’s the apartment across from SPMC, or Eden on a windy day, or wherever we are now — home is you.
The priest said:
Put love into your marriage.
These are the three things you will bring for the rest of your married life.
Till death do us part.
No return.
No exchange.
I’ve carried those words every day since.
A Brief History of Wedding Anniversaries
Because I know almost nothing about the history of wedding anniversaries — and because this is the kind of thing I would have stayed up reading about if we weren’t both so tired all the time — here’s what I’ve learned.
The tradition of marking wedding anniversaries dates back centuries, with roots in medieval Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.
Husbands would crown their wives with silver wreaths on their 25th anniversary and gold wreaths on their 50th — which is where our modern associations with silver and gold anniversaries come from. The tradition was largely a European one and traveled to the Americas through immigration and cultural exchange.
The full list of anniversary gifts by year wasn’t widely standardized until the early 20th century.
In 1937, the American National Retail Jeweler Association expanded the traditional list — partly, let’s be honest, to encourage more gift-giving. That said, the symbolism behind each year holds something genuinely meaningful.
The 6th anniversary traditionally corresponds to candy or iron.
Candy for the sweetness you want to keep in your daily life together — the small moments, the laughs, the inside jokes.
Iron for the strength your commitment has developed. Not the soft beginning of paper or cotton. Real iron. Shaped by heat and pressure into something that holds.
| Year | Traditional Gift | What It Symbolizes |
| 1st | Paper | A blank page — your story is just beginning |
| 2nd | Cotton | Intertwined threads, a stronger weave together |
| 3rd | Leather | Durability and flexibility — you bend, not break |
| 5th | Wood | Deep roots, steady growth |
| 6th ⭐ (You) | Candy / Iron | Sweetness in daily life; iron strength in commitment |
| 10th | Tin / Aluminum | Resilience — shaped but unbroken |
| 25th | Silver | Precious, radiant, lasting |
| 50th | Gold | Rare, enduring, irreplaceable |
Six years of iron. Six years of candy. That sounds right to me.
What the Best of Us Looks Like
The best thing we’ve shared over the course of these years together is love for one another.
And it is not the type of love I am guilty of writing songs about. It’s not sappy.
It’s an ongoing ballad — of love, happiness, anger, joy, little triumphs along the way, and the realistic view of what it takes to truly be with someone.
It’s not always going to be smooth sailing.
It’s not always going to be pretty.
And it will never be easy.
But here’s what I know: I would make every single one of those changes again.
I would take the back seat again.
I would drive to every shift, every emergency, every late night again.
I would watch that ceiling during that earthquake again — unable to move, eyes locked on you — and I would choose you again every single time.
Pros and Cons of Celebrating Anniversaries
Since we haven’t done this properly yet, it seemed fair to think it through honestly. Here’s what celebrating your anniversary actually looks like when you weigh it out:
| Pros | Cons |
| Reinforces your commitment and reminds you why you chose each other | Financial pressure — grand gestures can create stress if budget is tight |
| Creates a shared ritual that anchors the relationship through time | Unrealistic expectations built by social media can lead to disappointment |
| Gives you a designated moment to pause, reflect, and be intentional | For busy couples like doctors and writers, scheduling is genuinely hard |
| Research shows couples who mark milestones report higher satisfaction | Missing a date (travel, emergency, shift work) can spark unnecessary guilt |
| Fuels appreciation — gratitude is one of the strongest predictors of marital happiness | The pressure to ‘celebrate big’ can overshadow the quiet, everyday love that matters most |
The pros outweigh the cons — especially for us.
The real risk isn’t celebrating too much. It’s not stopping long enough to say: we did it. We’re still here. And we’re still choosing each other.
Your Letter to Me
Mama was afraid for our new relationship before. But after a long talk with you, she was full of high praises and hope for us.
Papa was mostly quiet — also afraid for his unica hija. But when he had an opportunity to speak with you alone, he told you to be patient with your maldita moments.
I have been.
I can’t say I have a perfect track record of keeping my cool, but every day I will try my hardest to be patient.
I will be.
I knew from the beginning — oversized smile, large eyes, loud laugh — that you were something I hadn’t encountered before.
And six years of marriage and eleven years of knowing you has only confirmed it.
So today, officially, properly — we celebrate.
Happy sixth anniversary, Margaux. I love you in the way that doesn’t always have the right words, but always finds a way to show up.
— Chip
