A letter from Apr 24, 2026

Dear FutureMe, Are you happy now? Kumusta ka na? How are you doing in college? Naka adjust naka sa new life? Are you finally at peace with where you are and the path you chose? I really hope you are. Are you in nursing ba? Or did life surprise you and lead you to a different course? Whatever it is, I hope you chose something that makes you feel alive and proud of yourself. I hope you stopped doubting your worth and realized that your dreams were never “too big” for you. Maybe a year from now, wala naka naghilak sa mga gabii tungod sa kasakit ug frustration kay wala ka gisugtan ni mommy mag school layo. Maybe by now, healed naka ana nga pain. Maybe you finally proved to yourself nga kaya nimo. I know you can do it. I know nga makalayo jud kag Butuan because once you set your mind on something, mahimo jud na nimong goal until makuha nimo. Mao na imong pinaka kusog nga trait—kung unsa imong gusto, paningkamotan jud nimo until mahimo. I’m so proud of you already, even before seeing where you end up. Proud ko sa tanan hilak, breakdowns, overthinking, ug silent battles nga giagian nimo just to get there. Proud ko kay bisag kapoy na kaayo, wala gihapon ka niundang. I’m going to manifest this now: right now naa naka sa Davao you wake up in your apartment every morning, preparing for class same mo apartment ni Ate Jemima ron, helping each other out, laughing over random things, surviving adult life together. Ikaw nag school sa AdDU, si Ate sa USEP. I hope both of you are doing well and growing into the people you prayed to become. I hope you found genuine friends there too—people who make college lighter and happier. I hope naa kay circle nga safe ka mahimong imong true self. Kanang dili ka kinahanglan mag pretend or mag overthink if enough ba ka. I hope naka learn naka unsaon pag stand on your own. Naka grocery naka by yourself, naka budget sa allowance, naka survive sa stressful exams, naka commute, naka handle ug responsibilities nga sauna murag impossible kaayo. I hope every little thing you once feared became something normal for you now. I hope your grades are good, but more than that, I hope your mental health is better. I hope you no longer measure your worth pinaagi sa grades lang. I hope you learned nga even on bad days, valuable gihapon ka. I hope mommy eventually understood you. Maybe dili man dayon, but I hope one day she saw that all you wanted was a future. I hope your relationship became softer, calmer, and healthier. And if ever wala pa ka sa exact place nga gi imagine nato karon, okay ra gihapon. Life is not a race. Delays are not denials. Redirection is not failure. Basin lahi lang gyud ang plan, but I know naa gihapon kay maabtan nga beautiful future. Future me, please never forget this version of you—the one who cried, begged, prayed, and fought so hard just for a chance. Remember the younger you who wanted freedom, growth, and something more. Make all this pain worth it. I hope you are kinder to yourself now. I hope mas confident naka. I hope you look in the mirror and finally see someone strong, capable, and worthy. No matter where you are right now, I’m proud of you. Proud ko nga naka survive ka. Proud ko nga padayon gihapon ka. Proud ko nga ikaw gihapon despite everything. See you soon, future me. Please make us proud. ✨