You made me cry. You made me laugh.
And now, I think it’s finally time to let go.
It sounds simple. But truth is, saying goodbye to something that once meant so much takes more courage than people realize. Letting go is never easy, especially when you’ve held on for so long. But holding on to what hurts only drains you until there's nothing left. And I want to live again.
You taught me something I never expected: that I’ll never truly be ready for what life throws at me. It comes unannounced, joy, heartbreak, endings, beginnings. I won’t always have the answers. But I’ve learned that faith, even the fragile kind, is enough to carry me through. I can’t shield myself from pain. I can’t stop love from asking too much of me. So I surrender all of it. My hopes, my heaviness, my heart, to Him.
Life is a classroom, and we are all still learning. I’ve come to understand that people may forget what you said, even what you did, but never how you made them feel. And in all the chaos and unmet expectations, I’ve learned to accept what is. Because things rarely go the way we planned, but somehow, they always unfold exactly as they should.
Thank you, 2019. You happened the way you were meant to.
July 18, 2017 : Pintô Art Museum, Antipolo Rizal PH
To M&M, my constants, thank you for catching me even before I fall. You are magic in human form.
To my soul circle — my church best friends, ADEFL, thank you for being the safest place I’ve ever known. For staying, for listening, for seeing me in all my mess and still choosing to stay. For loving me when I didn’t even like myself. Without you guys, this year might’ve broken me. But because of you, I held on and healed.
To my PAL friends — DEC, RHO, CAR, PIN, JOB, even across time zones, you remind me that I’m never truly alone. Thank you for being just a message away, always.
To an old friend from college — you know who you are — thank you for walking with me through heartbreak and healing, for showing up through your stories, your comfort, and unexpected happiness. You were a quiet light in a very dark time.
To Tita D, thank you for treating me like your own, for being my secret keeper, for opening your home and heart without hesitation. Your kindness has shaped parts of me I didn’t know were missing. I will carry your warmth forever.
To my family, thank you for your quiet love. For giving me space to hurt, to heal, to figure things out at my own pace. You let me grieve without guilt, and that gave me the strength to begin again. Please don’t be sad for me. This had to happen so that I could grow. Pain has a purpose, and one day, we’ll see it clearly.
And finally, to DR. You were my entire 2019.
You were the chapter I never saw coming, the radical shift I didn’t know I needed. Because of you, I learned what time, trust, and love truly mean. I don’t regret you. I don’t regret us. But if I’m being honest, there are days I wish I had left before you did.
I hope you find what you’re looking for.
I hope you come home to yourself and learn to love the life meant for you.
You didn’t love me the way I hoped, but that’s okay. Because you taught me something even more important: how to love myself.
And now I know, I am enough. I’ve always been enough.
I deserve the love I give so freely. I deserve joy, peace, and everything I used to pray for.
I may not be the same person I was at the start of the year,
But my heart? It’s still good. It’s still kind. It’s still mine.
366 days to try again. To begin again. To believe again.
The end is just a part of the journey.
And look forward to what’s coming.