LISTEN TO ARTICLESynthesized Narration • 0:00 / 0:00

“Ma’am, papel lang naman po ‘yun. Napi-print lang naman.” Are certificates just really a printed paper? A paper that can be crumpled, easily torn, and destroyed once it’s wet? And then after, it can be thrown away? As cruel as the world treats me, before being handed these certificates and gold medals we treat as necklaces, sometimes people forget that I do not just achieve these effortlessly. Behind these victories, there were scars and hardships I once faced. The drive on the road wasn’t as smooth as I expected it to be before reaching my destiny. Therefore, It wasn’t simply a certificate printed on a sheet of paper and then displayed on the walls—it is a symbol of silent cries no one bothered hearing. Because, I was barely living before I reached my dreams. I wasn’t born naturally smart nor talented like everybody else. So, I don’t just sit, wish, and pray that someday, the path others have currently will be the same for me. Because as unfair as the universe is to me, it is as hard as reaching the stars—these goals almost seem impossible to reach, having it always tied with struggles and sacrifices that are somewhat hard to survive in. There were times I wished that fate was a little kinder and different to me. During those dark and lonely nights, there were my tears and heart at doubt hiding in that silence. The kind of silence no one bothered asking about—because it was never seen; neither was it heard. As my eyeglasses get foggy from the tears I continued releasing, my mind is at its full thoughts of “kaya ko pa ba?” Yet, despite these restless unsettling feelings, I chose to believe and keep going—keeping my faith burning in these moments of uncertainty. Because I understand. I understand that if these efforts aren’t done, then I will be stuck on the same ground. These certificates reflect those nights filled with thoughts of wanting to end it all. It wasn’t just another success I reached—it was a reflection of my courage, growth, and determination to make it happen even if it almost seemed impossible. But maybe, just maybe, that line isn’t so offending at all; that behind the offense, there’s where my fear was hiding—my fear of “if this triumph wasn’t reached, then who am I without it?”