In My Own World

There’s this kind of sadness that arrives without warning. One moment, everything is fine. The next, you're lying in bed wondering about your future, replaying old memories, and feeling anxious about things that weren't even on your mind yesterday. Then you check the calendar. Oh. It's that time of the month again. If you know, you know. It's strange how a flood of emotions can appear out of nowhere. Suddenly, you're sad. You're anxious. You're worried about things you normally handle just fine. Problems seem bigger. Uncertainties feel heavier. Even the smallest inconvenience can feel like the final straw. The hardest part isn't even the emotions themselves. It's the confusion. Because while you're feeling all these things, another part of you is trying to figure out whether those feelings are real or if they're simply being amplified by hormones. Are you genuinely sad? Are you actually anxious? Is this concern valid? Or is PMS just turning t...

We don’t always agree on many things. I mean, we don’t fight. It’s just that sometimes, I hate your opinions. I hate how pessimistic you can be at times. I hate how biased you are sometimes. I hate how you criticize things every now and then. But just to be clear, I don’t hate you. I just hate those things about you. But you know what? When I really think about it, those are also the things that make you  you . Without them, you wouldn’t be the mother I grew up with. Okay. Done with the hate. On with the love. I love how hardworking you are. You chose the profession that has no benefits, no time off, no sick leave, no vacation leave, no payroll. It’s a one-time clock in, and you never clock out. No retirement either. But on the other hand, you are the boss. Just kidding. No, not really. You chose to be a mother. I know you didn’t exactly choose to be  our  mother, but God knew you had all the qualifications to become one. And don’t take that the wrong way. What I mean is,...

There are days—quiet, random, almost uninvited—when the thought of quitting my job slips into my mind. It doesn’t come with a grand reason. No dramatic breakdown. No final straw. Just a simple, lingering thought:  What if I just stop? Maybe it’s because this isn’t what I once dreamed of. Maybe it’s the routine, the repetition, or the feeling of wanting something more but not quite knowing what that “more” is. The kind of restlessness that doesn’t scream, but softly stays. But then reality has a way of interrupting. Because as much as the idea of quitting sounds freeing for a second, the truth is—I can’t afford to. Not in the most literal sense. Life isn’t exactly cheap, and dreams don’t pay the bills. This job does. And strangely, every time I find myself leaning toward that thought, life seems to gently pull me back. It reminds me—sometimes subtly, sometimes a little too clearly—that I’m actually in a fortunate position. In a world where layoffs are becoming more common, where sta...

There are some people in life you wish you never had to meet. Not because they didn’t matter—but because of how deeply they changed you in ways you never asked for. You were that person for me. You made me hate my job. You made me dread workdays, especially mornings that used to feel like fresh starts. You made something as simple as checking my messages feel heavy—like I was about to receive something that would ruin my entire mood. And slowly, without me even realizing it, you made me doubt myself. I used to believe in what I could do. I used to feel capable. There was a fire in me—something steady, something hopeful. But somewhere along the way, your words, your tone, your presence… they chipped away at that. Until I found myself questioning things I used to be sure about. You didn’t just criticize my work. You made me question my worth. And that’s what hurt the most. But here’s the part I struggle to admit— I know I shouldn’t give you so much credit. Because maybe, if you ever knew...

I didn’t expect to feel this way at 34. Isn’t a midlife crisis supposed to come later, when you’ve lived enough life to question it? But here I am, already questioning everything. Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot—about where I am, about the life I’m living, and more specifically, about the work I wake up for every day. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful. Truly, deeply grateful. There was a time when this job was the only thing I prayed for. For years, I held onto that hope, trusting that one day I would finally get here. Twelve years of prayers, of waiting, of believing that this exact opportunity would come into my life. And now that I finally have it, I don’t feel the way I thought I would. I thought I’d feel fulfilled. I thought I’d feel like I made it. But instead, I feel stuck. It’s confusing how something you once begged for can become something you feel disconnected from. How a prayer can be answered and still feel incomplete. I show up to work, I do what I’m supposed to do, I ...

Life can really feel overwhelming at times. Moments you don’t see coming suddenly arrive all at once—like a full blow you never prepared for. One minute things feel normal, and the next you’re surrounded by emotions that don’t seem to make sense together. Happy. Sad. Frustrating. Disappointing. Exciting. Dreadful. All at the same time. Sometimes it makes you want to disappear for a while. Like going to some land far, far away… and only coming back when things feel good again. But that’s not how life works. Unfortunately. We don’t get to skip the difficult chapters. We have to go through every bad moment to truly appreciate the good ones. Sometimes we even have to go through them just to realize how strong we are for surviving them. And truthfully, we wouldn’t make it through any of it without the grace of God quietly carrying us along the way. Still, there are days when you can’t help but think about that line people often say: “To my younger self, just stay there. It’s lonely here.” B...

I haven’t felt okay lately. The past few weeks have been tough—uncertain in ways that quietly creep into your thoughts when you’re trying to rest. It’s mostly work-related, the kind of uncertainty that doesn’t scream but lingers. The kind that sits beside you while you’re answering emails, while you’re pretending to focus, while you’re trying to convince yourself that everything is still manageable. And the strange thing is… I look okay. I laugh at jokes. I reply to messages. I talk to people like nothing’s wrong. If you saw me in passing, you’d probably think I’m fine. Maybe just tired. Maybe just busy. But there’s this quiet emptiness that follows me around like a shadow. It’s subtle but heavy. I feel lost, drained, uncertain—like I’m walking through fog, moving forward without actually knowing where I’m headed. It’s a confusing kind of not-okay. Because I’m not breaking down. I’m not crying every night. I’m not dramatically falling apart. I’m just… functioning. On autopilot. Doing w...