Advices of a Mother to a Child

            Dear child, one more year to go and you will be out of your tween and into an exciting phase of youth, that of being a teenager. We have journeyed a lot through joys and tears, and we have battled some little wars together when some incidents seem to be too big for you to handle. I hope I have guided you well enough to live life fully later on in your life.

            How many times I have advised you to be independent, I cannot anymore count. The ability of a person to stand alone and independently is stressed and valued in our family. Be a free-thinker. Do not just accept what you hear; logically analyze it. If you think it is correct, accept it. Being independent is not being rigid in your ideas and beliefs. If you think it is not or you do not understand why, do not be afraid to ask. No intelligent person will mind it if you ask questions. On the contrary, asking questions mean that you are listening to him and valuing his thoughts and ideas.  You are intelligent and smart. Maximize your talent that is in you.  

            Only eight more years to go and you are an adult. That is the time you can truly begin to practice living independently. I hope that the value of self-reliance is inculcated deeply in your psyche.

            To be truly independent, you must have self-confidence. Remember when you were still a little child and we were constantly asking you to ask somebody for some things?  When in a restaurant, we will ask you to ask the attendants  for napkins, or spoon, or a glass of water. How we were surprised and proud when the attendant was not quick to get what you want  and as a result, you stood up and asked another attendant where the manager of the restaurant is. When the manager came, you were able to talk to him intelligently and adult-like.

            We let you attend several summer classes. There was the dance class, twice there were voice lessons, art class, and McDonald student crew for young children. We continuously indulge your love for theatre even though being in a play in an exclusive girls’ school is really quite expensive.

            All these were done to ensure that you will gain self-confidence. As what can be seen today, I am proud to say that we have not failed.    

            Being practical in life does not mean that you deny yourself. You can of course buy things you want but we expect it to be fully used and taken care of. Always think first if you really need the item before buying it. If you need it, where will you use it? If the item is to be used only once or twice such as costumes in a play, it is advisable to buy the cheaper ones. However, if the items will be used for a long time, buy the item that is more durable even though expensive. Being expensive,  is in the sense that, the price of the item is still within the allotted budget.

            Remember that what is saved today can be used tomorrow. 

Do not forget to enjoy life, to be happy. Do you still remember my advice to you that happiness is not dependent on a thing or even a person? This is because only you can make yourself really happy. It is how you perceive yourself and your surroundings, and how you interpret it, that will make you happy.

No physical possessions can make you happy; neither can dining in fine restaurants or studying in premiere exclusive girls school nor going to vacation trips and shopping till you drop can bring you happiness.  Most of the times, simple things bring the most joy in life. Being in your family and knowing that you are loved and accepted brings the most happiness in life.

Being happy and bringing joy to others is what life is all about.

Above all, do not forget to trust in God. There will be times in your life that no matter what you do, what you think, or how you act, you still cannot get what you want. That is the time that you just need to let go and leave everything to Him.

Wonder of wonders, that will be the time you receive what you want or receive much more than what you want. Take it from me, I know.

Our Dreams: A Filipino Teenager Speaks Out

 

            As teenagers just learning the ways of real life, we have many dreams and ambitions. It’s natural for us, so natural just like our ability to have crushes. We tend to daydream, to stay late at night thinking about our future and to meander along the pathways to our ambitions.

            Our dreams are the reasons why we study. We believe that it will be the instrument for us to reach our dreams and become what we want to be. Some of us are not so fortunate to have the resources to be able to study. But we have dreams to make come true and we will not easily give up. If we will be able to overcome these challenges, one day, nobody knows, we will reach the zenith. That is the reason why many students are working at the same time. We will persevere for the chance of a better life.

            Others don’t really like to study; instead they have other dreams. These children wanted to be performers. They wanted to be known as great dancers, singers and actors. They wanted superstardom. Those are the reasons why in every reality show and talent show audition, you can find a long line of young people waiting for the judges to notice them.

            Whatever dreams we have, we youngsters all come down to a common goal, that is, to have a better life someday. Just like everyone in this world, we dream wealth someday, or if not, a comfortable life to live with our families. I, myself, don’t really want riches. I just want to give my family a good life. I dream of a stable life for them; a not so extravagant life but a life wherein we have the money whenever we have to buy our necessities. We dream of fulfilling career someday. A career that we would love and would also be rewarding for us. We dream a life of achievements wherein we would live productive lives. We also dream fame. We want to be known. We wanted the world to notice us as people with worth and not just teenagers without any experience, just like the way adults perceive us.

            We also dream of other things. Many of us dream of our future partners. We dream to find the perfect man or woman for us someday. That is why many teenagers go into relationships to experiment. We grew up listening to fairy tales in which the heroes and heroines of each story ended with happily ever afters. We also want happy endings with our own love stories. And oh, by the way, we love reading romance novels and cheeky romantic movies to satisfy our cravings for our happy ending love stories.

            I and my contemporaries, though we have varied backgrounds and lives, have a lot in common. Adults may not understand us, they may say that we are wild and adventurous for no good reasons. But they forget that we are in such a crucial stage in our lives. This is the stage where we want to be notice. This is the point in lives that we start knowing the harsh realities of life. We often get shocked by what we see in the adult world. The shock we suffer often brings unprecedented effects on us. But we get pass that and we survive. We use our dreams as our motivations to survive the harshness of our coming of age. We dream many things; we want many things to come true. We just want the encouragement of the people around us because they mean a lot for us. That’s all we ask of our loved ones. Discouraging us leaves us depressed and it can have devastating effects. We may lose our spirits, the only weapon we’ve got. We need people who would believe in us, young people, that we, despite our limitations and frailties, can make a difference in this world. And we dream impossible dreams.