31st

Wednesday, June 16, 2021


Oh my gosh, my 30th yr was a wreck. My 2020 was a hell of a rollercoaster ride and I know for sure all of you know why. Aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot has happened in my 30s, and let me share it here with you. Taglish tayo para maiba naman.

In 2019, my kids got separated from me. It was the hardest decision of my life but I had to do it because I need to work my ass off for them and I won't be able to do that if no one will take care of them. And my only option was my mum, and they stay in Romblon. Ang layo as in. No internet connection. Poor signal. Hirap. Don't get me wrong, sobrang miss ko sila but we only have limited resources for us to be able to communicate smoothly. So pag may chance, dun ko lang sila nakakausap. But knowing my mum, I know they're in good hands. Better, actually.

Then, I was with someone else during that year. From "siya na talaga" to "hindi pala siya" real quick. Well, that's life. People come and go. They leave you footprints for you to either learn from it or succumb to it real bad. Well, I learned a lot from there. And still, thanks to him kasi kung hindi dahil sa kanya, baka kung saan na din ako pinulot that time. Honestly, he helped me a lot during the moments na sobrang down din naman ako and nung nangungulila ako sa mga anak ko. Pero sa dulo, kung hindi talaga para sayo, hindi para sayo. Let go, move out, and move on. Ganun lang kasimple, sabi ko.

But in early months of 2020, lumabo lahat ng sobra. So foggy that you would be needing a special lens to see things clearly. Like, what have I done? What have I not done? Mga tanong na kung hanggang ngayon eh itatanong ko pa din, baka hindi ko na nahanap "uwu" ko ngayon. Hinayaan ko nalang. Ganon naman kasi talaga siguro. Pag nagkaka-edad ka na, simplehan mo nalang ang buhay. Kapag masyado ka nang maraming tanong na hindi masagot, baka mas mabuti ng hindi nalang masagot kasi baka yun na din yung sagot. Wala. Walang dahilan. Na hanggang dun nalang yon.

Pero, hindi naman naging ganun kalupit ang tadhana sa akin nung 2020. Na-promote ako. May stable akong trabaho. May raket na nahanap. May lalaking di inaasahang mahahagilap. Ang pait ng umpisa ng taong 2020 sa akin, pero bago matapos naman ang taon, naging matamis naman ulit ang lahat. May makikilala ka talagang tao na di mo inaasahang mapapalapit sayo, sa di inaasahang pagkakataon.. sa di malaman na dahilan. Pero kung ano pa man yun, I'm glad I took the chance. Kahit maraming may ayaw, kahit alam kong maraming may tutol, kaligayahan ko naman ang nakasalalay. Masyado na kong maraming nasakripisyo noon. It's time na unahin ko naman sarili ko, I guess? Hindi naman sigurong masamang maghangad na sumaya para sa sarili mo. Lalo na't alam kong wala akong tinatapakan na ibang tao.

In my year of 30s, sobrang daming ganap. Sobrang daming hirap. And I know hindi naman matatapos yon kasi kasama yun sa ikot ng buhay. Hindi laging nasa taas ka, hindi din naman laging nasa baba ka. Hindi laging papabayaan mo sarili mo. Hindi din laging kailangan maging makasarili ka. Hindi laging masaya, hindi din laging malungkot. Hindi laging masarap ang ulam, pero masarap tuwing tag-ulan ang tuyo. Mapapagod ka, pero pwedeng magpahinga. Susuko ka, susukuan ka - pero lalaban ka pa din hangga't kaya.

Ngayon na malapit na kong mag trenta y uno - huling petsa sa kalendaryo na ito pero hindi pa naman ito ang huli para sa lahat ng gusto ko pang mangyari. Mga bagay na pangarap ko lang dati na pwede pang matupad, mga mahihirap na pagsubok na kailangan ko pang lagpasan, at mapapait na kape na kailangan ko pang matikman. Marami pa akong makikilala, at may mga taong pipiliin na mag-stay sa buhay ko hanggang ako'y mag otsenta. May mga bagay pa akong matutuklasan sa sarili ko, at may mga bagay pa akong kailangan ng baguhin. May mga lugar pa ako na mapupuntahan, at may mga lugar pa akong babalik-balikan.

Ngayon, habang inaantay ko ang ika-isa ng Hulyo, 2021, gusto ko lang sabihin na pakiramdam ko, hindi pa ko tumatanda (kahit may pagsakit na ng likod, kalamnan, at kasukasuan). Hindi pa ko tumatanda sa aspeto ng buhay. Madami pang ganap. Madami pang lalabas na app (lmao). At kami ni Franco ay madami pang pangarap na sana matupad. Feeling ko, nagiging sobrang topakin na ako - siguro dala na din ng pagtanda (lol). Yun muna siguro uunahin kong bawasan. Pero sa ngayon, sobrang masaya ako at wala akong gustong baguhin sa mga nangyari sa akin. Kasi, kahit gustuhin ko naman, imposible yon. Unless, maimbento na talaga ang time machine.

Pero, cliche man itong maituturing, kung hindi sa mga naranasan ko noon, hindi naman siguro ako tatatag ng ganito. Hindi ako matututo, hindi magiging makulay buhay ko. May mga bagay lang talaga tayong dapat tanggapin kasi nangyari na. Pero hindi ibig sabihin nun yun na magdidikta ng hinaharap mo. Oo, may mga maling desisyon pa tayong maaaring magawa, pero we can always do better. That's why we have these people who always have our back whenever we're about to wobble. Sabi nga sa movie na napanuod namin kanina lang - "We're not meant to be alone".

Cheers to us who have reached this age (HA!) And mabuhay pa tayo ng matagal.

howdy?

Sunday, March 7, 2021


Howdy? It’s been quite some time since I last posted something personal. The year 2020 has been one heck of a crazy year (and I know not just for me). It has been a shit show and I think everyone will agree with me when I say that. I feel like I have so many stories to tell, so many bottled-up emotions to spill, and so many caged tears to cry but I can’t seem to unearth where to begin. Sometimes I feel like I’d feel so much better if only I could scream or cry my emotions out but I just can’t. I’ve been staring at this white box for hours, watching the line blink as it waits for me to type something but nothing seems to come out. I think I’ve been so used to caging my emotions so much that I eventually forgot how to express them.

Anyway, here’s to a somehow better 2021. And here’s to getting back to writing. Writing anything. Even if it isn’t good. Even if it’s crazy. Or even if it doesn’t make sense at all. Here’s to learning how to take over my emotions instead of just bottling them all up. I have to constantly remind myself that it’s okay to be sad or to be weak. It’s okay not to be okay all the time. It’s okay to not be the strong and bubbly one. It’s totally normal and it’s part of being human.

This pandemic is sucking up all my remaining sanity. It makes me feel as if I’m in a never-ending loop. I punish myself because I constantly feel unproductive, but I also can’t seem to find the motivation to do anything. It’s been difficult. I have to remind myself that sometimes it’s okay if my only achievement is surviving the day. Because you know, there are days when surviving is so much more difficult. Even getting up on my bed and doing the simplest of tasks seem to be so hard sometimes. There are days when everything just feels so much heavier. There are days when the world is just so much darker. And honestly, looking back, I have to say that I am proud of myself for not giving up.

And I am proud of you, too. Yes, you. Even though I’m pretty sure that I lost all my readers already because I haven’t posted anything for so long, but if you somehow found this post and if you’re reading this right now, please know that I am proud of you. I know it’s been difficult for you, too. But you’re here reading this, so that’s something worth celebrating!

Cheers to surviving! And here’s to manifesting that this year may be less about surviving and more about actually living. ‘Til next time!