Bye, bye 2008. I don't create a list of to-do things every year. All I have are random wishes and in-the-moment goals... However I can look back, keep track of what had happened, and promise myself, each year, that I will remember to stop and smell the roses more.
The year started rough, as I needed to tie loose ends in my life. Going back to school had been great, and even after thinking much about the time I lost for going astray and walking down the path-not-yet-taken (so to speak), I'm proud to say I regret nothing. Going back to my old school was not an easy task, and staying there with a heart filled with determination in my hand is one of the most courageous things I've done in my life.
As it had always been, the good things cancel out the bad ones. Enough for me to say that this year was very fruitful for me. I've met new friends; in school, online. My personal relationships and circle of outer and inner friends had been filled with variety. Sisterhood and friendship is indeed a curious case. There are bitter and sweet moments - misunderstandings in between the sisses, trying to meet people halfway, making amends and so on. It's nice to meet with the old and new guys once in a while - both with the brods and the sisses. We're cool. We all are.
Extending my online network isn't exactly the way I pictured it to be, too. But its fun, meeting with other people. There are those who I met in the message boards of Ragnarok Online, an online game. One of them really surprised me: Nilleh!! Kapateeeeed! Haha! Her mom is my godmother and we had no freaking idea. Some of them as friendly and bubbly as I thought them to be - Nath, Jayne, her friends and her classmates (and her new boyfriend fufufu); Eli, who's one of the closest friends I have. Some of them I've had misunderstandings with (even to the point of getting harassed in my own blog) Mai, Ryan, if you guys are reading this, I have no beef with you guys. (Stop thinking and acting otherwise.) Some of them I've known for quite a while - Jerri, Abbe, Jason, Sky ... and the others I have not yet meet uahaha. Mikey! Videoke tiem! You, too Iman. And of course, my shooting star, my wanna-be pornstar (j/k) boyfriend Jet who braved the storm (I am the storm haha!) and stood by it for a year or so. ILU.
I am also very thankful that my not-so-broken family is as whole as it can get, for me that's enough. I'm thankful that my dad has three kidneys now, and he's doing better and better as the months roll by. My sister and I, surprisingly, have been getting along much much better. I still hate her choice of boyfriends, but love is not only blind, it's also stupid sometimes. My mom will always be the same mom she had always been. Mine's not the most functional family in the world, but we should settle with what we have. I'm glad I have them. I wish next year we'll still be grounded together.
As for me, I taught myself to take life in strides. I've tried drawing again, and I'm even writing a couple of stories. It's awesome to let myself freely do whatever I want. Being too cautious in life's not really the way to go, and in love, school and life (in general), everyone can be happy as long as they choose to be. Of course I go mandatory and become negatively emotional and melancholic sometimes, but hey. Who doesn't? In fact, I don't want to have pessimism for dinner, so I'd like to be part of that 9 out of 10 Filipinos with unwavering optimism and say the year ahead will be a good one. (Hopefully)
And yes, of course, Happy New Year!
