One afternoon, I’m on my way home at exactly 5:30 in the afternoom, when the sun is already setting, i realized i lost my wallet, and my battery is dead. Instead of panicking and stressing myself out, i just calmly walked my way home. 

          It feels too bizzare, for i can’t remember the last time that i had a weird conversation with a stranger, that i enjoyed the loud horn of vehicles, that i last frown to the strong smell of smoke coming from cigarettes. 

            As i was walking, i was able to spot some differences that has happened in my surrounding, i have known that the old lady sitting on the corner begging for money that i’ve always felt sad for already died. I was also able to enjoy the children in the streets laughing, running on the sidewalks, funny that i don’t usually give anything, but that day i bought them food, i have known that they live beside the old way of trains, near old city hall of Caloocan, and that they’re worrying because they were told that they should leave. Life is really way too hard, too complex.

          I walked again, i set aside all the worries i had, all the pressure that’s been very suffocating, very demanding, i just realized that they had taken away my joy. I smiled, even if i may look stupid and weird, i smiled to all the people i passed by, making them all familiar to me within, setting aside all the pain and resentments from the people who deprive me of affection, from the people i cared the most. 

           I looked at their eyes, and it seems very foreign, it’s not as bright as the light coming from my phone, wherein i try to connect with people who won’t even try to feel me, wherein i try to show the people who neglects me that I’m doing good, not minding their absence, much. 

           I was emotional that day, i was actually having tears while i was composing this, i have realized that i lost a lot of opportunities wherein o could be happy instead of focusing on my endless worries. 

         That day i felt love, from the comforting wind, from all the smiles i  was able to receive back, i felt love when i felt tired during a long walk, i felt love because i feel alive. 

           And as i was entering in our house, nothing beats the warmth of a mother’s hug. What i want to say is that, take a break, look around you, and realize that it’s real, don’t lose the essence of life by all the new advancements arising in our world, there’s more to just browsing, posting, liking and sharing. 

           It’s around you, just look, just feel.

 

By: Kenneth Pimentel

Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love, and be loved to the greatest happiness of existence. -Sydney Smith

Friendship is a manifestation form of self knowledge, a capacity of the human being to refer himself on others, and is also a human characteristic which in fact according to Aristotle that “nobody can live without friends, even if he or she has all the fortunes in the whole world”

          It is a relationship that required to be reciprocal to turn into friendship. Benefits and necessities of friendship is indeed innumerable. But be wise enough because many pretend to be friend and terminate friendship as soon as their interests are fulfilled. We may have thousands of fair-weathered friends in prosperity but real friends are those who stand by us in our trouble.

No one said making friends was easy, automatic, simple, or pain-free. Very few things in life are effortless – certainly not the things that matter. Since then, friends that I have made have lasted, have come, and have gone by like the seasons. Every time I heard the phrase “seasonal friends” I was perplexed by it,but I have to accept the accuracy of its meaning.

          Seasonal friends have taught us different lessons in life but I believe that no matter how bad your relationship with your friend was, or how you knew each other for a short period of time and wished it would be your forever friendship, one thing is for sure, and that they have only taught us great lessons that we will definitely use at some point in our lives. Let us just accept the fact that our paths were not aligned like they used to be. And that they have come to assist or guide you for some reasons, and then suddenly they will disappear like their purpose in our life is done.

          Making new friends is not rocket science, but neither is it necessarily uncomplicated. But we don’t need to get fear of it, as long as we know that nothing in life is pain-free and that we are much more adaptable than we usually give ourselves credit for being.

          In-spite all of that, we have friends that we knew we were going to be with for the rest of our lives, you just felt it from the moment you guys met. Friends that you can share your victory with, friends  that makes you experience things that you have never imagined doing before, friends who accepts imperfection of yours and still loves you perfectly, and friends that is not just there when it is convenient, but who is there when it is not.They are someone that we should treasure, someone that we value and give importance because they will for sure do the exact same thing to you. After all, it is the likenesses in personality, life style, interests and habits that were once the base of friendship.

Every relationships we engage in will be a life teacher for us, cultivating moments of impatience to teach us patience, frustrations to teach us forgiveness, annoyance to teach us acceptance, and angst to teach us joy. You see, wee never really get to choose who are we going to meet but we can choose who we should keep.

Before you go outside of your home, know first what’s inside it because it might have the things that you’re looking for.

Philippines is consists of about 7,641 islands and surrounded by different water  forms that is so rich. So why do the Filipinos choose to spend their vacation outside the country if we already have these breathtaking view of the nature? Why do they leave if the places that they will see there can be already seen here? Let us together explore some of the unpopular places in these islands that might change the view point of the people about the Philippines and make them stay in the country rather than leave especially on a vacation.

        Christmas break is long so you might be thinking of a staycation where you can deepen your relationship with your family or friends in a Greek-themed resort in Batangas.

1.Camp Netanya (Batangas)

It is located at Brgy. Ligaya, Mabini Rd. on the coast of Anilao, Batangas, 120 km from Ninoy Aquino International Airport and 2-3 hours’ drive from Manila. 

Camp Netanya Resort & Spa is a luxurious Greek-themed resort situated on the tropical paradise of Anilao, Batangas. Camp Netanya Resort and Spa claims its popularity from its Santorini architecture giving rise to its brilliant blue domes and white wash buildings. Camp Netanya offers 48 guest rooms and villas that ranges from Php 10,000-55,000, dive shop, wellness center and family-friendly facilities which everyone should enjoy such as a 25-meter infinity lap pool overlooking the unspoiled beauty of Balayan Bay that varies from a 3-ft deep kiddie pool down to a 12-ft area perfect for those practicing intro diving. They also have restaurant called Greeka Restaurant that is serving Mediterranean, Greek and Filipino cuisine where you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you want to explore the sea they have outdoor activities such as scuba diving, ride on a glass bottom boat and hiking at Mt. Gulugod Baboy.

       If you’re planning to go on a trip where you can reflect, the next destination is perfect for you.

2. The Risen Christ (Tarlac)

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The 30-foot colossal statue of catholic’s Jesus Christ overseeing the city can be found at Monasterio de Tarlac. Monasterio de Tarlac is located at the Mount Resurrection Eco Park in the barangay of Lubigan.

The Monasterio de Tarlac has 278-hectare Tarlac Ecotourism Park, it is a monastery on top of Mount Resurrection, part of the Zambales Mountain Range in San Jose, one of the municipalities in Tarlac. In the monastery can be found a relic of the True Cross. The relic, which is purported to be miraculous, is housed in an ornate golden box under the church altar. The faithful are allowed to touch only the enclosed box after every mass celebrated at 10:30 a.m. every day and at 3:00 pm on Sundays. However, open veneration of the cross also occurs twice every year during the 19th of January to commemorate its enshrinement and the 14th of September to celebrate the Servants of the Risen Christ anniversary. There is no entrance fee to the monastery and it is open to the public daily from 7:00AM to 6:00PM.

            If you’re an adventurous type of person, here’s the place that is suitable for you.

3. La Paz Sand Dunes, Ilocos

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The La Paz Sand Dunes is an 85-square-kilometre (33 sq mi) protected sandy coastal desert and beach located in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, in the Philippines. La Paz sand dunes are created through the erosive action of wind as well as moisture from the sea and the nearby Laoag River. You can start your extreme adventure by riding a 4×4 car. Aside from 4X4s, guests can tour around the sand dunes with powerful and compact ATVs. You can also try the sandboarding where you will ride down a sand dune with a wooden or plastic board. The rate is Php 2,500 per 4X4 vehicle – sand dunes riding with unlimited sandboarding (group of 4 to 5 people, depending on the type of 4X4) and

Php 2,000 per person per hour – ATV rate.

          If you want to try another water form and FALL in love with it, let’s go and explore Mindanao.

4. Tinuy-an Falls (Surigao del Sur)

Tinuy-an Falls is located in Barangay Burboanan, a one-hour ride from Barangay Mangagoy, centre of trade and commerce in Bislig City,Surigao del Sur in the southern island of Mindanao, Philippines via the Poblacion-San Isidro (Bagnan) route. 

The Tinuy-an falls are 95 m wide and 55 metres (180 ft) high, touted as the little Niagara Falls of the Philippines. Tinuy-an is a white water curtain that flows in three levels (with a fourth tier hidden from view) and is said to be the widest waterfall in the Philippines. The entrnce fee is Php 50.00 but children are free. There are picnic tables that you can use but it is on a first come first serve basis. There are bamboo rafts available for rent which cost 100 to 150 pesos each that will get you close to the cascading waters.

by: Princess Mabel Tabios

“A+, B+, C+, D+ and F”

Some students study to get high grades to be one on the honor roll. Some students study just to pass. And some students do not study but still able to get good grades.

But do grades really matter? …

Do grades define who and what you are? …

Does getting a failing grade makes you less of a person? …

According to Marco A. Muñoz and Thomas R. Guskey (2018), grades should reflect students’ performance on specific learning criteria. Grades are measurement of how well you perform in school. It reflects your attitude towards your studies.

But grades do not reflect your attitude towards the people around you. It does not show how well you treat your family and friends. It neither tells how much you care for the environment nor how much you love animals.

Your grades do matter.

Because it shows how much you are trying to become a better student.

It matters in school because it is the basis for scholarship. It matters in work because companies look at your transcript before they hire you.

It is okay to get a failed score in a quiz, you can give it another try. It is okay if their projects are better than yours. Maybe you still have to extract those creative juices inside you to come up with new ideas.

If you are failing in your subjects, then maybe what you are doing are not yet enough and there’s more that you can give.

If you know that you can do better, then do it. It’s not bad to push yourself beyond your limit because there is no limit as long as what you are doing is for your own goodness and progress especially in school.

“There’s always a room for improvement” as what my friend had said.

It just takes time and effort …

Never beat yourself just because you failed!!!

Instead, use it as a motivation to do more and to study more.

Your grades do matter but it cannot show every amazing quality that you have as a person. It does matter but it does not define YOU.

Keep on trying.

Keep on believing.

You will be successful despite of how many times you fail. Continue doing what you have started.

Having good grades do not guarantee success but it is one of the key for a great future.

By: Christine Joyce Reyes

“You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you’ll escape one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.”

John Green, Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska is basically a young adult book. When you read it, you’ll observe that the insight it shares is about friendship, loyalty, acceptance, life, loss, death, and suffering – mostly suffering. 

Miles Halter, obsessed with last words, leaves Florida to attend boarding school, quoting François Rabelais’s last words: “I go to seek a Great Perhaps”. Miles’ new roommate, Chip Martin introduced Miles to his friends: Takumi and Alaska Young, a beautiful but emotionally unstable girl. Learning of Miles’ obsession with famous last words, Alaska informs him of Simón Bolívar’s: “Damn it. How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!” The two make a deal that if Miles will figure out what the labyrinth is, Alaska will find him a girlfriend. 

“He—that’s Simon Bolivar—was shaken by the overwhelming revelation that the headlong race between his misfortunes and his dreams was at that moment reaching the finish line. The rest was darkness. Damn it,” he sighed. “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!”

“So what’s the labyrinth?” I asked her.

“That’s the mystery, isn’t it? Is the labyrinth living or dying? Which is he trying to escape—the world or the end of it?”

Throughout the story, Alaska and Miles grew closer and he begins to fall in love with her, but she insists on keeping their relationship intimate but not sexual because she has a boyfriend that she loves.

“I wanted so badly to lie down next to her on the couch, to wrap my arms around her and sleep. Not fuck, like in those movies. Not even have sex. Just sleep together in the most innocent sense of the phrase. But I lacked the courage and she had a boyfriend and I was gawky and she was gorgeous and I was hopelessly boring and she was endlessly fascinating. So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was hurricane.”

The gang celebrates by drinking and partying, and a drunk Alaska revealed about her mother’s death from an aneurysm when she was eight years old. She said she felt guilty for not calling 911. Miles figured that her mother’s death made Alaska the girl he will never understand.

“Sometimes I don’t get you,’ I said.

She didn’t even glance at me. She just smiled toward the television and said,

“You never get me. That’s the whole point.”

“What you must understand about me is that I’m a deeply unhappy person.”

Alaska Young

A week later, after another episode of partying, drunk Alaska and Miles spent the night in each other’s presence, when suddenly Alaska received a phone call which caused her to go wildly emotional. Saying that she has to leave, Alaska drives away while drunk with Miles and Chip distracting the head of the boarding school, Mr. Starnes. 

The next morning, Mr. Starnes asked the whole student body to gather up in the school’s gymnasium.

They later learn that Alaska has crashed her car and died.

Miles and Chip were both devastated.

Miles found Alaska’s copy of “The General in His Labyrinth” with the labyrinth quote underlined and notices the words “straight and fast” written on the side. 

He remembers Alaska died on the morning after the anniversary of her mother’s death and concludes that Alaska felt guilty for not visiting her mother’s grave and, in her rush, might have been trying to reach the cemetery (or that she might have killed herself). On the last day of school, Takumi confesses in a note that he was the last person to see Alaska, and he let her go. Miles realizes that letting her go doesn’t matter as much anymore. He forgives Alaska for dying, as he knows Alaska would forgive him for letting her go.

Miles knew that the only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.

---

By: Cherrymiah Alluso

Summer is fast approaching. Calling all the surfers and beach lovers out there. It’s time to take a break with workloads and enjoy the refreshing summer vibe together with your family, friends and loved ones. Beat the heat and explore the historic place of the “Surfing Capital of the Philippines” Baler, Aurora with a lots of exciting activities and breathtaking scenario that will surely make your summer,  a summer to remember. 

HOW TO GET TO BALER FROM MANILA?

GENESIS BUS
contact #: +63 2853 3115 /+63 2709 0803 / +63 2421 1422

Genesis has air-conditioned daily buses en route to Baler from their Cubao Bus Terminal. Daily trips run from 3:00 AM to 7:30 AM (5-6 trips daily, 1 hour interval). Travel time 6-7 hours, bus fare is around Php 550.

JOY BUS
CONTACT#(02) 421-145/ (02) 709-0803

For those who want to splurge, reserve ahead for an executive luxury trip via Joy Bus (also owned by Genesis). Their non-stop service trip provides passengers with pillows, blankets and snacks and a bus stewardess to assist you with your needs. Fare is Php 750, travel time is 5 hours. Joy Bus can get too cold, so wear a thick jacket.

WHERE TO STAY?

There are plenty of different types of accommodations around the town of baler, I would highly suggest that you book in advance to get a perfect spot that will make your vacation enjoyable. 

Recommended: 

📍Costa Pacifica

📍Playa Azul

📍Nalu Surf Camp

📍Zen Breezelands

📍Bayler’s Inn 

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Most Visitors prefer to check in within the beach front to enjoy the relaxing view and feel the fresh air and the sound of the waves!! 

Here’s tourist favorite spot when in Baler:

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1. Museo De Baler

Museo De Baler is also one of the most top visited places in Baler, Aurora because it showcase the history of Baler and contains several historical artifacts that link it closely to the Philippines’ first and longest colonizer, Spain. President Manuel Quezon, who was born in Baler, has a statue in the center of the park named in his honor.  Even his restored presidential car is showcased among the museum’s many artifacts. 

Reading through it’s walls and manuscripts, if you’re a fund of the Filipino history and culture, you should pay a visit.

On the other note, it has spots which are Instagram worthy; take a shot at the right angle and it’s definitely worth dozens of double-taps!

Entrance Fee: 30 php (include a tour in Donya Aurora House which is nearby the museum) 

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2. Sabang Beach 

The waves are calling surfers.. Sabang Beach is one of the most visited beach in Baler, Aurora where most of the surfers play with the waves. Another amazing thing here is entrance fees and camping fees are FREE!! So you just need to bring your camping materials, set it up. You can also bring foods but there are also restaurants, bars and stall near the beach. Just a walking distance.

If you don’t know how to surf, this is your chance to learn. Don’t miss this chance because it is worth giving a try! 

• Surfing Lesson Rates: P350/hr (surfing instructor and surfboard); P200/hr & P800/day (surfboard rental only)

After thoroughly enjoying riding the waves, lay or sit on the fine dark sand while watching other people surf and swim.

When the water is flat and calm, take the chance to swim leisurely with friends and family. In addition, The sunset is worth the wait. 

3. Mother Falls 

Your baler trip won’t be completed without a visit at Diguisit Mother Falls!! Towering at around 140 feet and with the cold water from the highland of Sierra Madre Mountain Range, Ditumabo Falls is an imposing icon of the province. The freely cascading water drops into a wide rocky basin forming a natural pool ideal for swimming.

But getting to Ditumabo Falls is not a walk in the park. From Baler, one needs to ride a tricycle or a van to get to Barangay Ditumabo and trek for approximately an hour to see the waterfalls. It is not an easy trek, it involves river crossings and the trail is generally rough and rocky (and quite slippery specially after the rain), but it is one rewarding trek.

Entrance Fee: 30php

 Tour Guide Fee: 200php 

Friendly Tip: Wear sensible hiking shoes 

 4. Balete Tree 

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After going to the beach, spend some time taking picture at Balete Tree, you can also go inside the balete tree and see with your eyes the big branch and trunks of the tree

The 600-year old Balete Tree in the town of Maria Aurora next to Baler, towers more than five stories high. It is said that it would take 60 people holding hands with arms outstretched to encircle it. Locals claim that it’s the largest tree of its kind in Asia. Though it hasn’t quite lived up to its moniker yet, it’s been dubbed “The Millennium Tree” and is now the province of Aurora’s most visited attraction.

There are locals out there, who would offer to take pictures they are very nice and skilled when it comes to taking pictures to get you a right angle!! Just give them a tip. 

Entrance Fee: 10 php

5. Baler Hanging Bridge 

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An instagram worthy pictorial with your friends and sweetheart at Brgy. Zabali, Baler Aurora. 

This steel and wood bridge crosses the Sabang river which is about 15 feet below from the bridge. What’s exciting about this bridge is it sways sideways and moves up and downward when you walk through it. No entrance fee!! This is a must visit spot when you go to Baler. 

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6. Baler Town Plaza

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Your trip to Baler won’t be completed without a picture at Baler Town Plaza. 

The town plaza is the center of everything in Baler. Huge standees that spell out “Baler” welcome tourists to the Aurora municipality, while the 400 years monument stands in the middle as a reminder of the historic 400 years of Baler. 

There are lots of tourist spot in Baler, Aurora here is also some friendly tip before going to Baler

• If you are planninng to go to Baler, book your accomodations in advance
• Bring cash, there are only limited atm machines in Baler
• Do not forget your powerbank and chargers
• Do not leave your valuables unattended
• Clean as you Go

Locals are very friendly and hospitable so do not hesitate to ask them.  

Since summer is just few months, clear your schedules and enjoy the summer at Baler, Aurora. 

By: Ruben Dizon

“How poetry saved my life”

People nowadays find poetry only to use them for their enrichment by means of their social state, being at the peak in knowing experiences they have not actually experienced just yet, and there exist those who are silent but have been through a lot that they do not have enough words to define how they were.

In other people’s eyes poetry is something they could use for compliments, yet for me poetry was a hand reaching forward, trying to help me be saved from a sinking state of being. I started writing poems as a way of expressing how I felt in a metaphor that my reader’s find funny. At first they saw me with light bearing words, in a form of a poem the comes one, two, three and more people seeing the real message, people who have read between the lines.

I was caught in the brink, the fall is yet to come but poetry appeared and drew a brdige towards the path I was ought to explore. The numbers of people that wanted to read my poetry multiplied as I write effortlessly a cry for help.

From time to time, my words have been more explicit and played quite the message through words. They started seeing improvements, and my message remained unchanged which instead helped me realized that the grief shouldn’t have happened way back when.

“Happiness is a choice” says the ignorant man that knows not. Happiness is simple that ironically makes it complex. Poetry saved my life and with no doubt other people’s lives as well. And till have I come to realize that it was not a cry for help, but a step towards safety.

The word “poetry” itself is a word Id like to use as a metaphor for myself. I was to save my own. I was not reaching for help, But I was bein gpulled by myself back up. Poetry turned to messages being read by those who I only chose to have the chance to read, in fear of being judged to have weak way of words. Changed, turned to people who I don’t know, together with unexpected and geuine compliments. Changed, turned into a secret love letter. Changed, words illustrated an image of frown turned smile. Changed, messages became stories. I was already telling stories of my own, stories I’ve seen have happened to other people i know, events that were yet to happen, stories of hope. Stories varied from simple to intricate wordplays. Changed once again, poems were sang, conducted with their own tones. I learned how to write songs. Sang them as if despair was just a word.

Existential crisis was an island I was in, I once planned an excape until I realized that I can actually make the most out of what I have. Having yourself is enough back up. I recommend for you to reach far, not to do so but lift up yourself and move forward with what you still have, then everything will come eventually, at once.

-R.E.D.

By: Federose O. Nieva

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”

Hermann Hesse

Every single person is bound to experience stress and it is normal because it helps every person to learn and grow. The factors that causes stress may be the schoolworks, workplace, environment, family and friends, etc. These can affect your productivity and how you live each day of your life.

According to the medical definition, stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure).

It may be normal but untreated stress can be worsened and may result to serious illnesses both physically and mentally. Like anxiety, depression, heart diseases, asthma, and etc.

Stress management is very important to everyone and it is said to be the set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal more effectively with stress in their lives by analysing the specific stressors and taking positive actions to minimize their effects.

Here are several ways on how to manage stress.

• Pray and ask for our God’s guidance. It is very important to communicate with God and let Him guide you throughout your decisions because He will help you reach the outcome that you want. He is also the greatest reliever we could ever have.

• Seek a support from loved ones. Family, friends, special someone, and even your pets can be your support for all the stress that you are going through. Just a bit of your time to have this light or deep conversation and hanging out with them will help you to lighten up your mood and it will make you more motivated.

• Regular exercise, meditation, or any other relaxation techniques. Exercising, meditating, or any of your relaxing techniques will help your blood circulation works smoothly and your body will be able to release the tension caused by stress.

• Do your hobbies or the things that you want to do. Doing what you like or your passion will help you to divert your attention and ease the tension you are feeling; it can be dancing, singing, writing poems, playing instruments, etc. You can also go to a place where you think you can find peace and comfort like in a forest, seashore, etc.

• Avoid taking alcohols, drugs, cigarettes. These are usually the way of other persons in coping up with their stress and these actually worsen the stress and can make you more reactive or sensetive to further stress.

Most of all, there should be willingness and determination of a person to get better, to make the changes, and be stressed-free because everything should start to oneself.

By: Aivan Ayen

The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times. – Zig Ziglar

Doubt is always present along the process of formulating a decision. We are always confronted by different problems that leads to confusion. Human has an ability to recognize the properties of good and bad, beneficial and unhelpful as well as right and wrong. But we are also bounded in certain considerations.

We prefer to choose a decision that won’t affect the situation of other people even if it has a negative effect to us, personally. Maybe it justifies the nature of human which is goodness, no matter how bad the situation is, we always choose to find a good thing within in.

This poem is an excerpt from my work entitled “Change and its Inevitability”

I want to give myself a break from dealing with continuous self-destruction and unexplained heavy emotions

I want to give myself a break from carrying painful words from other people and let it decide of what would my life should be

I want to give myself a break from declining the time of those people who genuinely care for me and constantly disburse my days searching for nothing

Today, I will allow myself to design my own recovery knowing that i still got a human heart inside me. I will find it so i can heal and bring back the person that i was before i became aware of this unfavorable world.

We are social species, we rely on communication to survive. But it doesn’t mean that we need to give everything that we have to others. There are days and circumstances that we need to acknowledge our own ability and capacity in life. Through this process, we will appreciate the importance of having a separate time in contemplating and evaluating things.

Allow yourself to be free and happy as it reflects the gratitude that you have inside your heart.

Be grateful, always.

By: Angelika Sta. Romana

“The worst enemy you will ever have is yourself. . .” a girl once wrote in her journal.

She used to be the one who was cheerful everyday, compassionate to the people around her, and especially, she used to be the friendliest person you will ever meet. She treated almost all of her friends as her best friends. When someone asks her about who is her best friend, she would tell them a bunch of names. She would play with whoever wanted to play with her. She receives the most “thank you cards” or “friendship cards” when her teacher required them to do it. She was young, very welcoming, warm and was always smiling.

Growing up then happened.

As she grew up, she faced difficult problems. She encountered people who betrayed her and broke her trust. She gave them second chances yet wasted it. She gave them third, fourth chances, and still, trashed it. She experienced soul-crashing events. The thing that was whole before, shattered in front of her. Almost everyday of shouting and fighting of her two favorite people. She could not take it. She was very young. She had almost gave up.

The unfortunate events were eating up her thoughts and perception about the world, about the people she met and will meet. These changed her perspectives and her beliefs in life and in people. Her smiles started to fade, she became distant to people, wary that she might be hurt again and the girl who once was willing to trust anyone became the girl who barely trust anyone, even her true friends.

She has been a fighter ever since. She stands up for what she believes yet open to any opinions or crticisms. She fights for her friends when being degraded or disrespected but never gives tolerance when it is the other way around. As much as possible, she protects herself from people who hurt her and from those who betrayed her. Most importantly, she has been her protector with the Guide above.

She did not like who she had became. She did not like herself. She was not herself. But she was broken and even she was constantly trying to mend herself, it was just so difficult. She missed her old self, the happy and the friendly one. But people will hurt you again, she thought. They will take advantage of you again. She wanted to bring back her old self but, at the same time, she did not want to. She was badly damaged. For a girl who just gave love, she was badly hurt to the point that she almost lost her love for herself.

One thing that had remained in her is she, being a fighter and believing for what is right even her own self somehow contradicts it.

This time, her fight was not with other people but with herself. It was not easy. The constant fight with yourself and, at the same time, learning to love yourself again. There was a lot of time she felt giving up but never did because she was a fighter.

There was one thing that she was sure of, she has to win this fight.

She took her time to mend herself. She supported herself. She did not rush things. She accepted the fact that it would never be easy. As she was constantly in fight with herself, she was also rooting for herself.

She did not brought herself back from who she had used to be, but she did win. She used these experiences to grow. She did not let it confine her into a person she would not want to be. She came back stronger. She has learned to love herself more and realize her worth.

She was not able to bring back who she was, the young, warm and friendly one but she became the person whom she needed when she was once innocent and hurt.

“…and the best ally you will ever have is yourself.”

She had almost gave up many times but she did not. She had believed that she, being an ally of herself is stronger that the enemy within her self.