#softspaces

Drop your emoji. Or don’t. Write a few words. Or just breathe.

This space is for whatever you’re carrying—joy, exhaustion, clarity, confusion. No need to tidy it up. Just show up.

Let’s honor the real, the quiet, the in-between.

Close your week with care.

No pressure to process it all.

Just breathe, notice what’s still,

and let gratitude tuck you in.

Here’s to quiet hearts, softened thoughts,

The night doesn’t ask you to prove anything.

It only asks you to arrive — gently, as you are.

Some days, softness is the strength.

Take the pressure off.

Let yourself be human.

You are allowed to rest.

Pause here.

Breathe deeply into the quiet of this night.

There is no race to run. No role to perform.

Only presence.

“Let today be done. You did what you could. That’s enough.”

"By His Wounds, We Are Healed." —Isaiah 53:5

February 16, 2020 : Sagada Abandoned Bus, Mountain Province PH

The pandemic taught us many things, but above all, it reminded us of this: nothing is ever truly permanent.

The malls we used to wander, the offices that defined our days, the movies that gave us escape, the night outs that made us feel alive, all of it vanished in a blink. The world grew quiet. And in that stillness, we found ourselves returning to what never left: home. Family. The kind of comfort that doesn't fade when the world does.

Quarantine became more than just isolation. It became a mirror. And in that mirror, I began seeing pieces of myself reflected in the presence of the people who stayed closest to me, my friends who felt more like family. We talked about things we never used to say out loud. We shared quiet truths in late-night messages that stretched past midnight. Some words were gentle, like comfort you didn’t know you needed. Others were honest, and they stung a little, but they reached me. And maybe that’s what real friendship is: not always joy, not always ease, but a space where you are known. Not just the best parts, but the complicated ones too. With them, I didn’t feel lost. I felt awake.

Funny how people arrive at the strangest time. Sometimes, they show up when your world is falling apart, light in their eyes, darkness in their past, carrying both hope and hurt in their hands. And yet, they stay.

I’ve come to believe that every person we meet carries a lesson. Some lift you. Some leave you. Some drain the very light from you. And then, there are the rare ones, the ones who return, not to rebuild what was, but to help you realize what could be. They remind you of your worth when you’ve forgotten it. They notice the small things. They forgive what hurt them. They choose to see the good in you even when you can’t see it in yourself.

They remind you that you are not too much. You are not too little. You are enough.

I’ve learned that it’s not our job to convince anyone of our worth. If you know you deserve more, don’t wait for someone else to believe it. Be it. Walk away from people who make you question your value. Don’t justify mistreatment. Don’t hold space for lies. You can love someone and still choose yourself. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stop fighting to be understood and start standing for what you deserve.

And now, as we celebrate the Resurrection, may we also rise. From what hurt us. From what we’ve outgrown. From what no longer feels like love. There is always a new beginning waiting, but only if we’re brave enough to let go.

Let us live in a way that honors who we are becoming. Be gentle with yourself. Be proud of how far you’ve come. And know this: you were never alone in the dark. You were just being led toward the light.

Today, take a breath. Say a prayer. Be grateful. You are here, still growing, still healing, still worthy.

Happy Easter 🌿

New life. New grace. A new you.

With love and gratitude,

There are things I can’t easily put into words. Like a pain you feel but can’t put into words. You can’t point to where it hurts, but you know that it does.

So here it is, I’ll say it plainly. I'm in a chapter of my life where everything feels unbearably heavy. I’m fully aware of it, even if I never thought this season would come so soon. But if not now, when?

Right now, I feel like the most foolish version of myself. I am reckless, impulsive, sometimes immature. And honestly? I don’t even try to deny it anymore. Because at the end of the day, I’m left alone, with all the choices I made, all the regrets I carry, and all the consequences I now have to live with. The decisions are still mine to make, even when I feel lost.

We all know our truth deep down. We know what we’re going through. It's just a matter of whether we face it or avoid it entirely. We feel our own pain, and if we’re honest, we also sense the pain of those we’ve hurt, even when we pretend not to.

Lately, I've been crying most nights. Sleep escapes me. Thoughts of you take up so much space in my head, but I’m trying. I’ve been keeping myself busy—doing things I never imagined I could handle, going places I never thought I’d reach. And in the process, I’ve hurt people too. I’ve said things I didn’t mean. I've acted like someone even I barely recognize. But through all of it, I remind myself: my feelings are valid. The way I hurt was never without reason. It was the aftermath of what you did to me.

Still, I want to thank you.

March 02, 2013 : Kamay ni Hesus, Lucban Quezon PH

Thank you for showing me how to love unconditionally. Thank you for teaching me that sometimes, love means not expecting anything in return. You gave me so much. Experiences, growth, and lessons I’ll carry for life. Even with all the betrayal, I won’t regret a single moment, not even the time I feel I wasted. Because it made me stronger. It made me whole again.

Maybe I wasn’t the one you needed. Maybe I was never the one you wanted to spend your forever with. But I understand now. I truly do.

Moving on from you has been hard. So instead, I’ll just move forward. It’s not that I’ve stopped loving you, because I haven’t, but I won’t stay stuck anymore. I’ve made peace with the fact that my journey continues without you in it. But I’ll take the lessons you left me. That part stays.

Sometimes, the smallest decision leads to the biggest change. And no—you don’t have to have everything figured out to begin again. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll feel like a mess. But progress isn’t always pretty. It’s still progress.

If I’ve learned anything about love, it’s this: it’s hard work. No one person can meet all your needs—but with the right effort and commitment, anything is possible. It’s about listening. It's about meeting halfway. It’s about growing together, even as you grow individually. You need space, independence, and the ability to create your own happiness.

And above all: you have to choose each other. Every single day.

You don’t have to chase love. The right one will find you. And when they do, you won’t need to ask to be treated right—they just will. They’ll learn how you love. They’ll speak your language, even when you haven’t said a word.

So take that leap, even when it’s terrifying. Even when it breaks you open.

Let your faith be bigger than your fear.

Still choosing faith,