🌱 Personal Life Lessons at 22
Growing up, I lived in a loud house. My parents fought viciously, and it took a long time for me to reconcile how genuinely good people can hurt each other. It is from one’s parent(s) that a child first learns both everything they want to be and everything they refuse to become.
Unlearning normalized toxicity is a long process, and it is often a path one cannot take alone. People learn and adapt to their surroundings, and in my experience, things can only change when one’s environment is conducive to it. And whether by chance or blessing, the most kind and inspiring people stumbled into my life’s journey and walked by my side.
From someone dear to me, I learnt that love is a place where you feel safe. I learnt about flexibility, love, and trust — that this isn’t a cycle of hurt and hurting and that we as humans are fluid and ever-changing, so the past need not define our future.
From my teammates at my first career, I learnt what it meant to give without expectation. This is what it means to build something to last, to be a good mentor, and to lead a life of service for a mission bigger than oneself. When I bring good to the world, it is an emulation of the good that was once given to me.
From my partner, I learnt that it was okay for me to be selfish and chase my own happinesses. If a person loves you, they will not ask of you any sacrifice too great, and they will give you their blessing to pursue a different tomorrow.
Time and time again, what was given to me when I needed it most was Hope: the ability to construct the possibility of a happy future. I have been blessed with the best of friends, mentors, and life companions, and I aspire to be the same to those who will come.
I look ahead, and the future is uncertain but brimming with possibility. I can see the light through the canyon, I can feel the wind under my wings, and I can finally exhale. Thank you for being a part of my life’s journey.
Till we see each other again! 🙇♀️💗
