27/09/2025
๐ซ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐
I remember a line from my friend's favorite song that I really liked: "๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ'๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ." I still remember it. When you are young and you think that pain is the only feeling that is deep enough to prove that you are here, you likely find it to be very true and dramatic.
I got it wrong.
This monthโ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ตโI came across the statement once again. But it was different. It doesn't sound like a piece of love anymore, but rather like a plea for help from someone who is lost for words, someone who has reached the end of their supply. It is like the person being so deadened that only a sharp feeling could awaken them from their trance. And the very idea of it makes me feel sorrow for that person. ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐, ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป. ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐ผ๐ผ.
Truth is, the bleeding is not a sign of life. The wanting to feel is.
That need which squeezes through the weave of one's garment, the needle of tremendous need to experience something, anythingโnothing is not a death wish. It is a lifeโs wish. A habitually neglected one. It is the most human, our innermost self screaming that it is still in there, buried under the weight of everything.
Being young, you think pain is the only feeling that counts as a real one.
But we all made a mistake.
This September, we all suit up to be better listeners. What about that? ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ง, we start recognizing the different ways a person can bleed. Being honest, you can notice it in a friend who suddenly decides not to go out anymore. You can pick it up in the strained โI am okayโ that is far from being true. You feel it in the silence that is a little too heavy on the phone call.
Reaching out to everyone else in the world does not mean that you have to do big things. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ. It is the โHey, how are you?โ It is making a cup of coffee and sitting next to someone in silence that says, โWe donโt have to talk it all through.โ ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ โ๐โ๐บ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ,โ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐.
One of the most hopeful realizations that we have come to is that while pain might be a proof of life, it is not the only one. There is a more profound, clearer proof.
It is the very moment when a pair of hands warmly wraps around for a hug. It is the laughter that is helpless and healing that you hear when you thought you had forgotten how. It is the relief of letting go of a bottled-up feeling that you have been hiding for too long, and having it caught by someone who keeps it safe.
Maybe we are not meant to be shining, in depiction of the sun, the fastest decision makers, or speak with confidence etched in our voices.
And maybe that is enough. Maybe I am enough. Maybe we all are.
Therefore, not only for this month but also for the silent bleeding, the quiet trails of life, let us be on the lookout. Let us be those who do not glance away, removing our stare from anotherโs pain. Let's gently remind people that feeling alive does not have to be painful. ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐.
๐ผ Mariane Libo-on & Mica Bautista
โ Jhilian Fuentes
