A letter from Apr 27th, 2021

Dear Future Maxine, By the time you’re reading this you’re just 2 days away from being 19. In the meantime I’m also 2 days away from turning 14. These are the last days of my first year as a teenager while yours are the last days before you enter the last “-teen” stage. I don’t want to spend my teenage years like this! We’re one year already in the pandemic. In fact, the Philippines just passed over 1 million Covid cases yesterday! I’ve learned the most valuable lessons in just one year than the rest of my 10 years of schooling! Jokes aside, I had many observations while the world felt really small. I think these should be treasured as life goes on. Number one: Always leave room for gratitude. Be thankful for what you have right now. I’m thankful that I’m still alive and you should too (Well I’m not certain about whether this pandemic still exists in your time or not, but let’s just say it’s over.) Whenever you feel down, think about something you’re grateful for and I’m 100% sure you’ll feel a little better. Two: Capture the delightful moments. Be it a camera or a journal, record those moments because those will turn into special memories you’ll look back on. Hopefully in 5 years you still have the journals where I document my experience during the stay-at-home life. Most importantly, cherish every small thing. This pandemic taught me to appreciate life from a new perspective. My teenage years may not look as what I expected when I was younger but I’ve become a little mature. Out of boredom I’d ask myself questions like “What’s the purpose of life? What if this whole virus thing didn’t exist, where would I be?” or big realizations like how time is so intricate. Why do people get frustrated in finding happiness when it’s already in front of them? If you’d ever encounter this problem, always think of the “small things” that fulfill your heart. When all this craziness stops, I want a world where we don’t have to put facemasks on so we can see each other’s bright smiles. I want a world where true good heroes rule. I want a world where the future Maxine can read this peacefully. Happy birthday in advance. Love, Maxine from the past