Unwavering Courage
“What is resilience without the courage to go out of one’s way in the pursuit of offering humanity to others?
The Filipinos have always been known for their resiliency. In the face of the greatest adversities in life, poverty, typhoons, earthquakes, fires, and droughts, they have always stood their ground, plastering smiles on their ill-stricken faces. It seems that in every calamity that strike us, even in the darkest situations, our hearts will harbor the smallest flicker of hope. We always hold onto it despite the disagreement of others that we are only harnessing false beliefs. Perhaps it is true that the Filipino resilience is an overrated statement that undermines the real situation that we have to solve as a country. Maybe for normal people to see that there really is a problem in our streets is to stop glorifying how quick we are to adapt in the hurdles that life throws at us. But what is it really that pushes us to stand on our feet, regardless of the challenges desperately trying to deter our spirits? Family.
It is in and for the sake of our families that we forget the hardships in this life and brave our souls just to give them a better opportunity. Like any other Filipino, I highly value my family.
As per its definition, the family is the basic unit of society. Every individual begins in being a part of it, whether they are affiliated through blood, marriage, or adoption. And for me, my roots will always be connected to my family. Who I am as a person is significantly influenced by the personalities of the people in our household. I have my Father’s calm and serene disposition, my mother’s strength and bravery, my sister’s artistic side. Their individuality serves as a portion of what makes me original and I will always be proud of how my family serves as my greatest motivation in pursuing my own dreams. To be honest, the profession of my parents is completely unrelated to the medical field. Still, having that kind of influence did not stop me from choosing to go along this path because of them. If I can be someone who can take care of them, knowledgeable enough to heal the pains they feel from work-related stress, then I will be fulfilled as their daughter.
And I guess this is how I’ve always been to everyone. Someone who always cares. It’s like a second skin that I can never shrug off because I feel like I have to do something for other people, no matter how small. My friends would always tell me that I am like a mom, looking after them. They told me that I am very warm and easy to get along with as a person.
I do admit to have been emitting warmth into this world because as cliché as it sounds, for me there’s so much harshness out there already that if I don’t care enough or if I ignore the pains of others, how am I different to the perpetrators of their misery? If I just bypass a person who begs in the street, then I am not that far from the life that struck them down.
Therefore, as a future nurse or doctor, it is what I swore my life into doing. I cannot just let my life pass me by, hoping that I or the people surrounding me will always be resilient. What is resilience without the courage to go out of one’s way in the pursuit of offering humanity to others? I do believe that if one does not move out of her comfort zone, she cannot ever feel the pain of those beneath her. If she remains numb from these pains, then how else would she be able to find a cure to heal the illness of our society? I know that it is quite wide in scope but I also know that the illness of our country begins in small-scale problems. In the little things like providing quality and efficient healthcare.
And so, it is what I want to be the core of the warmth I’ll envelope others with. The genuine desire to be of service and to uplift lives by assisting patients to get back on their feet after their lives’ greatest challenge. I want to reunite them with their families and give them the energy to help themselves for the people awaiting for their recovery. Hopefully, I will continuously nurture this wanton within me. For now, I will always find ways to strengthen the unwavering courage that lives within my mind and heart.
