Written by Marielle Iarathelle Trinidad

The skies were painted blue, with bright rays cutting through the gaps of the feathered clouds. The weather was fine, despite the bustling roads of Manila. I perfectly remember how I wore my new red blouse, facing the scariest firsts of my life. With clenched fists, I rode my first trip to UP Diliman for the Freshie Welcome Assembly. Just like that, I experienced my first day, my first month, my first semester, and my first year as an Organizational Communication student.

It has been two years since then, with fast-paced days seemingly loomed with slow ticking nights. Those shared moments are growing fast in your memories, sweet peals of laughter and endless rants towards your unbelievable examinations and your week filled with all-nighters. It has been two years since I began my journey towards what they all call the best years of my life yet we are all filled with what-ifs. What could have been if we were facing each other now, together in the most crucial years of our lives?

This month marks a start among each one of us, from freshies to seniors, in our personal lives and the endeavors we are embarking on. This year has started too, with everyone facing the screens in an attempt to continue learning in the middle of the blazing fires. We’ve been spending a lot of time trying to put out fires in our homes, our lives, and with an attempt to bury the ashes of the past scattered in front of our eyes.

Could we be hopeful? Could we be drained? No matter what we feel, there’s no correct answer for each and every one of us; there’s no way to say what we should feel. Every jump feels far off even if we are standing on different cliffs, scared of what we will face after every beginning. But as our days go, we’ve been learning how to adapt through the fiery road of fate, as the heat never goes out but our lives just grow around it. With whatever tomorrow holds, the promise of brighter days will always be in our hearts. During that time, we can finally play with the fire that has been consuming us.