A letter from Feb 24, 2024

Dear Future Self, In November 2023, you were diagnosed with HIV in Abu Dhabi UAE. Suddenly everything came crashing. Your job. Your dreams. Your life. It felt like the world stopped and everything seemed unclear. You felt so weak. You wanted to disappear but you don’t know how. You wished that everything was just a dream but it’s impossible. You wanted to die at that moment because you felt that life has no meaning anymore. A month later, you left UAE and went back to the Philippines again without any money. No one picked you from the airport so you went straight home. Two months had passed and you found a new job as a Tech Support in Eastwood. You told your American manager about your HIV status so you could get a morning shift and he approved it. You also found a new friend, Dionysius Valis from Greece. You felt alone with your family but Dion made you feel special everyday. You’re grateful you know someone like him. By the time you are reading this, I hope I made you smile knowing that you are still friends with Dion, you are surviving, you are fighting, and you are living your best life. You can still pursue your dreams. You can still migrate and work in a foreign country. You can still live your life to the fullest. Soon, there will be a cure for HIV. Soon, you will learn how to be happy again and you will find a love that you always deserve. Happy birthday to you! Love, Your Past Self