24/12/2025
#๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ | ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฐ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป
by Dane | Amaranth
Dear reader,
You are the warmth in every season.
In spring, when the flowers bloom and cicadas sing, you who lull me to sleep in this cool air. The eyes and ears of every springtime story I catch from the street and share with you, with no judgement whatsoever. Even when the pollen irritates my nose, itโs your softness that keeps me company.
In summer, when the sun shines too much, you who stand with me as I fan myself. Amidst scorching heat and blazing ultraviolet, the comfort of your skin sometimes shares a bit of my sweat and tears as I trudge on another equation to solve. Even when the numbers blind me, you make me laugh at your imaginary nodding and silent cheers for me, that Iโll keep moving forward.
People say that itโs childish, that weโre far too old to cling onto something like you.
But even when the leaves fall and autumn is far too humid, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ณ๐โ instead, continues to cheer us on, continues to hold onto dreams, continues and continues even after weโre past our childhood years.
You saw my tears, my smiles, and even my faultsโ between the seasons, sometimes I cling to you like a child. When there is joy, youโre the first to know. When thereโs melancholy, youโre the shoulder my tears find first. You who kept me company through the years, despite these occurrences in life, never ceased to stay. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐, ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
So when the winter comes to an end, when the snow (or the rain) piles onto the ground, itโs still you who keeps me warm.
Iโm no believer in holidays like these, but you are worth every ounce of gratitude for the weight youโve shared as I hold onto you.
So maybe hold onto me, too, as we welcome the dawn of another new year, to another new year spent with you.
With love,
Your secret Santa.
=====
Illustration by Lala Sucayre | Amaranth
Photo by Mitzi Joyce Corong | Amaranth