Yo hivers! Konnichiwa~ It's your one and only ridgette again, and for today, I'm going to finally share with you all the last part of my unforgettable memories with these exceptional women. These women have been with me in my tough times, and the love and care I've received from them somehow motivated me to overcome those challenges and be who I am today. I know that I'm forever indebted to these women for their contributions to my life, which are certainly invaluable. So join me as I recall my fond memories of them.
Jana and company
Jana, Inday, Glyzelle, and Chela were really the ones who, I guess, witnessed the hardest challenge yet that I've encountered in my life. Before I was diagnosed with lupus, they already knew something was wrong with me. When I'm hospitalized, they really ask for updates from my sister on my condition at that time. They also, in return, gave me updates on the lessons and activities that I'd missed during my absence. They planned to visit me in the hospital, yet I told them not to go because I know there's a lot of transmittable disease in the hospital, and also because a part of me didn't want them to see me in my most vulnerable stage. Of 'course they understood, and I'm really glad they did.
I'm really thankful for the concern and support that I've gotten from them, because somehow it helped me get through the emotional turmoil that I've experienced since I got discharged from the hospital. They stayed with me until the last day of our senior high school year, and that day I'm both sad because I know we'll get separated but also happy because finally we're all finally graduates! Our friendship may not last long, but there are certainly many happy and good memories that I have with them. For that, I'm certainly thankful.
Mea
If there is the funniest friend award, then she'll literally get it. Mea was really a funny and cheerful person, but beneath her jovial facade lies a deep sadness. She's been through a lot for someone who's just a little older than me. I don't know how she was able to survive and overcome the problems that she'd encountered. I'm really amazed at how she was able to cope with people who've hurt and disappointed her.
She really deserves so much love, but I guess she always ends up with people who fail to see her value. I don't know why she always ends up with toxic guys, but the good thing is that she always finds a way to move on. Like Jana and company, she's there when I was experiencing the greatest ordeal yet that I had experienced. She literally nags my sister every day to know if I'm already fine, and when I get back to school, she's really overprotective of me. I'm really thankful that I have her as a friend until now, and I do really hope that someday she'll find her happiness.
Tiya Etis
Unlike conventional aunties, who are usually uptight, my auntie was quite the opposite. She is laid-back most of the time. Also, she's really tough—literally, a tough woman. Well, technically, she's not a woman anymore. She's a lesbian, and we accept her for whatever she is. I know that in our community, not all people are open to that kind of gender orientation, but she still didn't let their talks get into her head. Even though Tiya Etis isn't that uptight like my grandmother, the way she talks has a similarity to my grandmother. She really talks bluntly and straight to the point.
She always speaks her mind, and she doesn't hesitate to defend herself from other people who tend to hurt her, and those are some of the things that I've learned from her. She taught me that I shouldn't hesitate to defend myself from the people who wanted to hurt me. Life will never be all about flowers and rainbows; that's why I should learn to stand on my own. I shouldn't base my happiness on others because, at the end of the day, only I can help myself. It's my decision that will secure my future.
Lola Betty
Like I've mentioned in my past blog, my lola (grandmother) always scolded me before (and even up until now), but despite that, I still love my lola. I know that she really wants us to improve ourselves; that's why she always scolds us whenever we've done something not nice or appropriate. I know it's her way of showing her care for us. I know she experienced a lot of hardships way back in her younger days; that's why I know she didn't want us to experience what she experienced. That's the reason why she really scolds us whenever we do something wrong, and she also gives us a lot of life advice, for she really wants what's best for us, and for that, I'm really grateful.
Eloisa
Eloi is not only my sister, but she's also my best friend. She had been by my side since she was born. We were literally inseparable back then because she's like a tail who always stays behind my back. We were partners in crime—speaking of that, there's a certain memory that I recalled that really made me realize that we're indeed that one.
It was almost afternoon when I decided to stop playing in our yard because I already felt quite hungry. Eloi was still so engrossed in cutting the small papayas that we collected. We were only 8 and 7 years old at the time, but because we're hardheaded, we were able to use a real cutter in our cooking play despite the fact that we were forbidden to use it. I was changing my clothes when Eloi suddenly rushed inside, clutching her left hand. She was hiding it beneath her skirt, and when I looked at it closely, I noticed that there was blood in her skirt. I immediately grabbed her hand, and there I saw that it was cut! I immediately felt faint because I'm really afraid of blood.
It was funny to recall that I'm the one who immediately panicked while she calmly consoled me that she's ok. In my defense, she's not well because her cut was bleeding like a sieve. I get many clothes to stop the bleeding, but to no avail, the blood is still gushing out. Almost three clothes were soaked with her blood when my mother came. She immediately treated the cut, and fortunately, it stopped after some moments. That experience was certainly unforgettable for me, and somehow it signified that no matter how afraid I am of the situation, I can't abandon and leave my sister.
Mama Joy
Among the women that I have met, she's the greatest. She had been through a lot, and I know she would have lived a good life without much suffering if she didn't have me. I know it's a selfish thing to say that, but I know she could have avoided suffering and sacrificing too much if I hadn't been born. I'm really such a great burden to her, especially since I was admitted to the hospital. I was doing everything to recover, not because I wanted to live, because honestly, at that time, I was already tired.
I'm tired of trying and pretending to be okay. It was exhausting to pretend that I already accepted everything; I'm actually ready to leave at that time, but the efforts that she made for me made me realize that I should live. I don't want to die without repaying her and my family. I know that if I die, I will be a burden again (haha), and of 'course I don't want to die that way. I want her and my family to experience a good life first before departing this world. She's really one of my main motivations, which is why I still strive to do everything I can to live. She's basically the light of our lives because, without her, it would be hard to move and to do our mundane tasks. I couldn't imagine my life without her comforting presence and guidance. Indeed, she's the greatest woman among all the women I met.
For centuries, women were viewed as less than men, and I know that's one of the biggest misconceptions we humans ever had. We are created by God uniquely, though I doubted the part equally because I know there are things that men can do better than women and things that women can do better than men. We are created to complement each other, to complete each other, and to make each other better. Every life matters, and being a woman doesn't mean you are less. We exist because we all have a purpose; that's why it's really a must to treat each other equally and with respect.
Like Eleanor Roosevelt said, 'Women, whether subtly or vociferously, have always been a tremendous power in the destiny of the world.' We, women, should always remember that we are all strong in our own ways. We should not fear that we're not enough because our worth isn't rooted in other people's opinions. That's all for now, Hivers! Always remember that you don't need other people to validate your worth because your true worth lies within yourself.
Once again, Happy Women's Month, Hivers! See you in my next blog, Sayonara~
All pictures that were used were edited in Canva.