25/06/2025
I really thought today would be just another regular Wednesday. I was just having my morning coffee, habang nagbabasa ng e-mails, when Baby Red walked up to me with this paper in his hand and a proud little smile on his face. Sabi niya, āDaddy, naa koy surprise nimu.ā
To say I was emotional would be an understatement. Binasa ko āto ng paulit-ulitā¦ longer than I probably should have. Because in those words, I felt seen. I felt valued. I felt loved.
You see, I grew up thinking I had to earn love. Na kailangan may mapatunayan muna ako. That I had to be impressive, accomplished, and useful first. That being lovable wasnāt a givenā¦ it was a reward for being enough.
So I built walls. Thick ones, actually. Not to shut people out, but to survive the feeling that I might never really be wanted just as I am. And even now, even after all the healing and all the progress, there are still days when I look around and feel like ang hirap kong mahalin. Like thereās something in me that disqualifies me from being chosen.
But then this kidā¦ itong maliit na mamang ito who sees me every dayā¦ just handed me a letter. And in just a few words, he reminded me of something I keep forgetting:
That no matter how unlovable you think you are, someone out there is quietly thanking the universe that you exist. Not because youāre perfect. Not because you did something grand. But because somehow, just by being here, you made their world feel safer, lighter, better.
If youāre reading this, I hope you know that your existence alone has already changed someoneās life. You donāt have to be perfect to matter. Someone out there is already grateful that you exist, even on the days you struggle to believe it yourself. ā¤ļøāš©¹
