This is your Author, Ruri

  The more I grow old, the more I understand that love really is a choice.

We can only look back to the past with fondness. The youthful energy. The vibrant joy of simplicity and innocence. And even though we can’t go back to simpler times, the happy memories we have is a testament that we can find joy wherever we are in our timeline. Believe that the past you and the future you are cheering you on. You got this.

We work on ourselves every day that we tend to forget how far we've come. We’re so obsessed with what we can do more, in what we can improve more, that we often forget to appreciate the reflection we daily see in the mirror; the mind we’ve cultivated through storms and seasons. We forgot how we used to be until we came across a post or a photo or a page from our journal years ago. And that’s when it hit us. That’s when we knew.

Seventeen years ago I wasn’t like this.

As a Filipino, the last few days had been difficult for me. I once wrote: If only tears could do something then I'm willing to cry every day if it means we, as a nation, won't have to suffer again. 

Looking back, I began thinking... Was there anything I had missed out? Was there anything worth holding on to? Was there anything I'd rather do? Would it bring me comfort if I say I have no regrets? It's not that difficult because there's no use thinking of things that were already done. I used to think that way, and it's become much easier to look at where I am today, who I am. What can I do more? Do less? I'm still learning how to love myself. This year I'm cleaning my closet again, asking the same questions: What do I not need? What do I need to let go? What is it that holds no value to me anymore? I allow myself to receive by giving. I'm freeing up the once cluttered space, and maybe, slowly... it's not the only thing that's gonna open up. Time flies quickly. It passes by whether we like it or not. Whether we move or not. Better make the most out of the days, and sleep at night as much as you can. The steps are steep; the road, long and winding. ...