The work week ended with something special for the fiance and I because it was the day that, finally, the book we had worked on for almost a year was being launched. Come to think of it, we had started working on it even before we got engaged and it has been quite the journey.

Kuya na si Bunso is authored by none other than the inspiring and beautiful Ms. Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan. I remember watching some of her movies before and when I met her in person to talk about her idea for the book for the first time, I was quite excited. But then, when we got to talking, I became less excited about her celebrity and more excited about how “organic” she is and how the book’s story resonated with both the fiance and me.

The bilingual book talks about the changes that a boy goes through when he’s faced with the inevitability that he will no longer be the youngest in the family because his mom is pregnant with a new baby. It was inspired by real life events of Ms. Maricel, her son Benj, her (super cute) newborn Solana, and the rest of the Pangilinan family.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to process this change in the family to prevent sibling rivalry and to promote love between siblings. I appreciate this so much more because I remember how I became really jealous when my sister was born 3 years after I was. I’m glad that my parents were there to explain to me that it’s better to love my sister than thing evil thoughts about her because now, I see her as one of my best friends. I can’t imagine life without her.

The event itself was a bit overwhelming because it was my first book launch where I actually had something to do with the book. We weren’t told that we had roles during the program so we went there just to support the book. Well, we ended up onstage, being described as “so in love with each other” in front of a hundred or so people, talking in front of the camera for an interview, and signing so many copies of the book. I apologize to those whose books I ended up hastily signing on because I really couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. I might even have signed incorrectly LOL.

I was in a haze by the end of the 2nd hour so I just spent most of that time playing with Solana. She is just the happiest baby ever and I am officially in love with her. And of course, having our friends there to support us helped so much. We felt very loved the entire time.

I feel really proud not just because I’ve done this and experienced this moment but more importantly because this is the first project that the fiance and I have worked on, on this scale. We’ve done projects together before, but this is the first time we’ve really collaborated from brainstorming on what pages should look like, to how the characters should be designed, and the layout of the book. I can’t say that I like InDesign any more now but I’m glad I overcame its difficulties.

And the best part? My parents are proud as well. I could hear the joy in their voices when they called. My mom demanded that I write a dedication on her copy and I HAD to give her one haha. Yes, that is the best part. Definitely.

P.S. Happy Mother’s Day mommy!

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Kuya na si Bunso is now available in National Bookstore branches for only P150.

(Source: lorraelena)