BUHAY KAPA SANA

My name is James, and I grew up in a small village called Marayon. In 2017, on a sunny afternoon at exactly 1:32 PM, my father and I were working outside making a bamboo gate for safety. I remember walking close to my great-grandmother (my father’s grandmother) because she was watching us. I remember giving her fruit two apples and a watermelon. I was so happy to see her smile, even though she didn’t have any teeth.

 

     At 5:00 PM that same day, as night approached, the weather and the wind changed; it started raining. The darkness began showing a bad and gloomy atmosphere. At the time, I just thought it was bad weather. But suddenly, at 4:44 AM the next morning, my mother woke me up with the sad news that my grandmother had died. I remember feeling shocked and wondering what happened, asking Why?

That day, I didn’t understand my feelings or emotions. I kept thinking about how we were both smiling just the day before, and now she was gone. That night, I looked at her face and said, Lola, I will miss you.

    I realized through this experience that I need to be stronger and listen to the saying, "People come and go. It has had a big impact on my life on the way I smile and how I interact with the people around me. My hope changed and grew during that time. I believe it is related to social issues and the way we respect, think, and act for self-improvement. Lastly I believe in God and I always try to think positively. I believe in the saying that things happen for a reason, and we should use our lives for the better glory of God.