Marc Gabion

A huge and heavy struggle to carry— a struggle of doubting yourself, that in every situation you’re put in, the sense of doubt messes up within you, and people’s judgement makes you lose your own sanity more.

Yes, I may have not witnessed your battles you try so hard to overcome, those that made your sleepless nights, the silent cries in the corner that became your daily routine, the days where you feel weak and taken for granted— I may have not gone through the same situation as you, know that being here, standing and fighting still, you have achieved much.

My friend, you are not alone. God is with you. No matter what happens— you may lose yourself at times, but as long as you talk to HIM and connect yourself, you will always find comfort in your own paths.

Whatever it is that makes you overthink with your situation right now, I assure you, everything will be fine, and all will be alright in time.

Little things can be seen as adorable. A newly born baby can be admired. With its own dynamic and brilliant colors, a flower in a vase looks gorgeous. Without doing anything, seeing a tall and attractive person might catch attention. Everyone sees it as something godly and divine.

In this world, there are many different ways of thinking and perceiving things. Many people can easily identify themselves based on what they are used to seeing, their physical appearances. When you stare at someone, you may wonder what they are. Without knowing who they are, you can even call them "fafa" if they are gorgeous, "maganda" if they are pretty, and "chaka" if they are unpleasant to look at. However, whether it is lovely or not, and whether it is gorgeous or not, it can still draw the attention of everyone. Impossible! Now, what really is real beauty? Is it being attractive and appealing? Or simply being nothing?

In society, people's perceptions of beauty are influenced by what they see. Body. Height. Skin. Eyes. Nose. Lips. These are the characteristics that people use to assess someone's beauty. A beauty in the Philippines is defined as having brilliant eyes, a pointed nose, thin and slightly pouty lips, a muscled body and a sensual waist, a height of 5'7 feet, and fair complexion. In fact, it is based on the characteristics of Americans. "Wow!" will be uttered frequently. However, if she has sleepy eyes, a flat nose, not-so-fine lips, a straight waist, and petite and not-so-fair skin. People will exclaim, "Oww!" This is why determining true beauty is difficult. Wow and oww are both expressions of amusement. People are difficult to identify, and their points of view may occasionally contradict those of others. It appears that what is beneficial for you may not be good for others.

We are susceptible in the sense that we wonder why we continue to hurt others and why we deserve to be hurt. Maybe this is one of the essences of being alive: the ability to feel pain. And having feelings of sympathy for ourselves and others. Yes, it is simple to say "sorry" to ourselves, but it takes time to wait for a genuine apology from the person who has caused us so much pain.

Most of the time, we sit in a chair, wondering when that person will apologize. We keep wondering. We continue waiting. We hope against hope. These behaviors have become a part of our daily routine. But throughout those days, we wondered, waited, and hoped nothing appeared but the frigid blow of the wind. Nothing is left but us, the one who endured for nothing. We have been spending a lot of time, whether we like it or not. We no longer feel pity for ourselves. Yes! We have the ability to forgive, but not forget. However, letting go of what is limiting our progress is sometimes preferable to clinging on to what is bringing us the most agony.

Remember, it's better not to wait for someone to say sorry before we can move on. There are times when that apology will never come. This is a harsh reality that someone needs to know today. That person knew how much pain they'd caused us, but they chose to disappear and continue living, and here we are waiting. Thus, we can't keep putting our lives on hold, waiting for something that may never come. We can't keep living in the past. In other words, if we continue to dwell on "what could have been," we will be unable to progress.

These are the few thoughts that cross our minds. A spoken promise of our uncertain future, as if every utterance of these words brings our dream closer to reality. But it was so confusing, and difficult because all of these assertions were made by people who believe in us. That's why we keep asking ourselves what dream is best for us and seeking answers about when will be our moment. Did it happen yesterday, today, or tomorrow?

Our dream will come true in due time. While we can't predict when or where it will occur, time marches on and opportunities pass. That is when our faith will be tested, and people will want to depart from our past, but that is all part of the dreaming process. It will be a difficult journey with many ups and downs. Disappointments will try to put our strengths to the test, and failures will try to cast a shadow over our hopes. Only those who are strong enough will survive, and those who are weak will cease dreaming, which is why it was so heartbreaking to witness some individuals live without their dreams despite having been given the opportunity to pursue them. Maybe it's a lack of support, courage, or money that prevents them from believing in and realizing their dreams. Or perhaps they give up on their dream because they see a broader vision of themselves in another dream. Well, we are the only person who knows the truth of ourselves. Only we can judge our progress, and only we can attest to what we need and desperately want to be in the future. We can declare that we are nobody, nothing, and that we are hiding in the shadow of someone right now. However, remember that every successful dream occurs at the perfect time. We can tell that it is not yet our time because we lack something, and instead, we should learn to be pleased for the triumphs of others and learn to take our journey with little step until we are at the finish line.