Our Youth

Our youth wasn't made of big moments.

It was made of small ones we didn't know were big yet.

It was pretending we hated Mondays but secretly loving them kasi buo 'yung barkada. It was failing grades and passing notes. It was "samin ka na matulog" at 11PM kasi may problema ka na ayaw mong iuwi.

We thought we had time. Akala natin forever 'yung tawanan sa jeep, 'yung agawan ng fries, 'yung tambay sa 7/11 kahit walang binibili. We didn't know we were collecting "lasts." Last field trip. Last crush. Last time someone would call us "bata pa kayo."

Our youth was the version of us before life got quiet. Before we learned that people don't always choose you back. Before we found out that growing up means losing things you swore you'd keep.

But for now, in this chapter, we're still here. Still loud. Still whole. Still dumb enough to believe we're invincible.

This is our youth and I'm writing it down before I forget how it felt.