Let the Sunshine in

It’s presumed that the whole world knows where, when, why and how the marriage of Sunshine Dizon failed. The details were all over the social media where Sunshine, feeling alone and helpless (until her mom, one-time movie producer Dorothy Laforteza, rushed to her side from Iloilo), sought solace. As they say, letting your emotional baggage off your chest is tantamount to having your problem 50 percent solved.

And because a case is pending in court, filed by Sunshine against her husband and his reported girlfriend, the following Conversation will refrain from touching the legalities. Instead, it focuses on how Sunshine is moving on...beautifully!

“Now I believe that looking good is the best revenge,” said Sunshine.

Without going into specifics, what are the lessons that you learned from the experience? ??

“I think the greatest lesson that I learned was to be independent. All my life I was dependent on my mom and when I got married, my world revolved around my husband to a point that when this thing happened there were a couple of months when I really did not know what to do. That’s when I realized that wala na, ako na lang talaga ito. So I started to pick up the pieces and decided I will not rely on anybody but myself.

“Another thing is to be strong mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I realized that in order for me to protect my family and ensure my kids’ welfare I have to endure this and persevere. I believe I became more open and closer to my children. In return, I received more of their love which really did strengthen me. I always believe that this will pass. And this is all part of a greater plan that God has set for me and my family.”     

Do you have any regrets about getting married? ??

‘Do I believe in second chances? I’m still young and I’m not closing my doors. But for now, I just want to love myself more and concentrate on my children.’

“I have no regrets; I got married at 27. All the pain and sacrifices are worth it, especially having my two beautiful babies.” 

Is it true that your mom (Dorothy Laforteza, one-time movie producer) tried to stop you from getting married at that time? Have you realized now that she must be right for feeling that way (you know, mother knows best)?

“Actually, I had my mom’s blessing when I got married. Even when this thing happened, my mom was still hoping that we could still fix it.” ??

Doesn’t home feel like “an empty nest” after what happened?

“Not really. Maybe I have gotten used to him not being around all the time. We may have parted ways but as long as my kids are with me and our home is still filled with their laughter and antics, it will never feel empty. They are my greatest joy and inspiration.”

How much did social media help in lightening your emotional load? Couldn’t you have just kept everything a private matter? ??

“Sorry, I can’t answer this as I have an ongoing case with regards to social media.” ????

How do you explain to your children about what happened? ??

“I told them that daddy made a mistake and that he has to face the consequences of his actions.”?? 

You must be thankful that GMA has given you another chance at your career. Is work really an effective therapy? ??

“I am very thankful to GMA. Work has been my salvation; it keeps my mind occupied and focused.” ??

You grew up under the showbiz klieg lights. Didn’t you feel that you missed part of your childhood? How was it affected the way you look at life?

“Not really. I was not as busy as the other kids at that time. I still had time for school and friends. Working at a young age taught me discipline and perseverance. You also get life lessons along the way from people you work with and I can say that it helped me be who I am today.”

How do you think you can avoid committing the same mistake (if you consider it “a mistake”)? ??

“Hindi naman ako ang nagkamali, nagmahal ako ng totoo at tapat. Sa ngayon, ang mas pinagtutuunan ko ng pansin ay ibuhos ang pagmamahal ko sa aking pamilya at sarili.”

They say that looking good is the best vengeance. Agree or disagree?

“It’s not necessarily vengeance but more of a gift to you after all the pain….”

Oh, I mean revenge, not vengeance. 

“Looking good, looking your best leads to self-esteem, self worth and self love. When you are beautiful and start loving yourself, you see beautiful things around you, the abundant blessings. Imagine if you have problem then you don’t look good pa, that is too much to handle.”

You look good, congratulations!

“I admit that I got a lot bigger. I was 160 lbs. at my heaviest. Now, I am only 130 lbs. My waist line used to be 37 inches and now it’s 27 inches.”

How did you do it?

“I consulted with Dr. Belo for the best options. And if you are really big, you can’t rely on just non-surgical slimming treatments, pang-maintain na lang yon. Laser Liposuction by Belo is the only way to get back the curves you lost; it’s the only slimming procedure that sculpts the body. And since this is a surgical procedure, I can only entrust my body to Belo. At least sure ako na di ako mapagpa-praktisan.”

Any other part of your body that needed to be corrected?

“I also had breast reduction and bustlift. It was so hard for me to look slim on TV because I was top heavy. Also, my posture got so bad already kasi parati akong nakakuba para di mapansin kasi na insecure ako na parang yun ang focal point ng mga tao. I also recently developed a cervical degenerative disc disease so to ease the weight from my neck I went for it na. My posture is getting better and I don’t feel the tension on my neck as much as before.”

Anything else? ??

“For my face naman, I wanted it slimmer and V-shaped so I decided to undergo Thermilift by Belo to remove excess fat and lifting the skin as well. I also had Botox Masseter treatment, V-contour and Embedded Threads, which gave immediate contouring effects. Amazing results, grabe!”

So the results are positive.

“But other than the physical results, what really is amazing is how it positively transforms how I feel. In spite of what had happened, I can confidently face everyone and I am just ready to move on and accomplish bigger things, especially for my kids. So being beautiful is the best if not one of the best gifts you can give yourself because it will help you become confident and happy again. And when those who offended you see you are moving on, you become more beautiful and you are happy, parang you get even na rin, di ba?”

Do you believe in second chances? Haven’t you developed a phobia maybe not for getting married again but for getting into a serious relationship? ??

“I’m still young and I’m not closing my doors. But for now, I just want to love myself more and concentrate on my children.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)