It's finally the first day of the last month of 2025. Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Even so, a lot of things happened this year. It's a perfect mixture of life, full of happiness, sadness, anxiety, helplessness, and hope.
There's still a month left, and I'm hopeful that it's better than the last one. hahaha
Trying to capture the moon using my crappy phone camera. hahaha
I worked today and got the chance to talk with various students. In one class, my student told me about a book she read. The message was that the main character genuinely likes children. He admires their innocence and honesty compared to the phoniness of adults.
It reminded me of a lecture back when I was in high school. It's related to religion, but it's applicable in real life as well. If I remember correctly, being a CHILD means:
Childlike faith (willing to trust even without proof)
Humble (ready to listen)
Innocent (pure in motive)
Loving (generous; and quick to forgive)
Dependent (trusting God for care and guidance)
Of course, it would be awesome to be that kind of person... to be like a CHILD. However, it also dawned on me that the adults were once children, and we can't totally blame them for what they've become.
Sometimes, society and the standards it imposes are to blame. It's like... I remember being innocent once, but when I became an adult, I realized that being innocent won't take me anywhere... the darkness around me will devour me, so I need to protect myself. LOL
So that's why we learned to be wiser, we created different faces to show people. We placed our being as a CHILD deeper into the abyss to survive. Well, these childlike qualities sometimes resurface in certain situations in front of specific people. And being able to do that is delightful.
In another class, I received this message from my student.
It reminded me of a quote by Gracie Gold, which says “Always wear a smile because you never know who is watching.”
I think I've gotten used to smiling. Sometimes, it's genuine; other times, it's a mask. Even though you're feeling bursts of chaotic emotions inside you... Even if you don't feel anything at all, smiling makes things easier for you.
It masks the darkness you feel. It filters all these messy emotions inside you so people can only see the bright side. But then, once you see the people around you feeling positive because of your "mask", it somehow comes back to you. It feels warm and fuzzy... and the once fake smile becomes a real one.
When I was taking photos of the moon earlier, I also took my time looking at the vehicles passing by.
Life is indeed a journey. Sometimes we wander without a specific destination, but the turns and stops we make along the way help us realize where we actually want to go.
We experience bumpy rides and long, winding roads... but at the end of the day, we get to appreciate it. Despite all the things that happen, be it good or bad, as long as we get the chance to experience these things, that's something to be grateful.
Life can be tough, but it's still wonderful!
Ahh... I'm so random! hahaha
I'll end this post here since I still have to work. :P
See you around! (^^,)/
