THIS IS IT, the last few paragraphs of a chapter that should have ended (p)ages ago. One last time, you struggle to find the perfect words to close off a significant milestone in many a person’s story.  

You think… and think… and think again, but the words don’t seem to match the mold of a perfect send-off. But then again, what words would even befit a journey shrouded in so many imperfections? 

Hmmm maybe a short trip through memory lane could spark some inspiration? 

“In times that you feel as if the cracks in the road start to hinder your footsteps, let others be your shoulder as you make it through the jagged rocks. And when nightfall begins to dim the journey’s end, let others be light’s reason to live beyond oneself.”

“2019 – Your first year in college, and also your first time in a new school after 13 years of studying in the same one (albeit still representing the same red and white colors). New city, new faces, although still carrying the same half-baked and immature mentality straight out of senior high.

Life for you back then, to say the least, was lived in ignorance and uncertainty, but it was vibrant. You weren’t sure about the destinations, but at least you had a semblance of direction, guided by a compass you no longer carry today. Each day back then was a recipe for adventure, a concoction of emotions, fear, anxiety, joy, but all flavors of feelings paled in comparison to excitement. 

You made new friends, started to enjoy the course you were previously taking, and even experienced moments you wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. But alas, no highs are truly met without crashes. 

2022 – Three years in, second course entered, and one fleeting pandemic after. You’ve entered a new low in your story. Guilty, you feel as if your low is nothing compared to what others have to face. You didn’t experience death, loss, or incapacity in any form, yet there you are, alive, and mystically but undeservingly given a chance to start over. 

You try your best to pick up the pieces of a puzzle still unfinished and find a new compass to replace the one you’ve lost. 

Everyday back then felt tiring, having to live the same sentence over and over again. You felt alone, close to giving in… but slowly and surely with time, light manifested itself in not so unfamiliar ways. 

Once again you met people, who led you to more people, who through experience after experience, grew to become comrades, companions, friends, and eventually reasons for being. 

2025 – Six years later, you’re happy to have made it long enough to close another chapter. Blessed to struggle to find the words to end something you’ve been marching towards for quite some time.” 

Well, did the reflection help you find the conclusion you were looking for? Not really, but it did help remind you of how you’ve gotten to where you are. 

Honestly, this story doesn’t seem too original. Nothing too different from what others have experienced before. Another tale of trial and tribulation, of perseverance and friendship. But there’s beauty to behold in a cliche, wonders to find in the imperfect and mundane. 

After numerous cycles of starting over again, you’d think that life would start to lose its luster. But that could be further from the truth. With a slight change of perspective, and a sprinkle of collective intervention you could rekindle that recipe for adventure and flavor for excitement that you thought was lost in time. 

With a present so focused on isolating the individual, and a tendency to romanticize an expectation to power through alone. There is solace in a gentle reminder that we are never truly by ourselves, in facing challenges, in making mistakes, and in moving forward. 

So to you, who’ve been there all throughout the way and stuck till the very end; to you who’ve quietly fought or continue to fight; to you, who feel as if you’ve lost your compass but continue to walk with brave uncertainty; thank you for not giving up. 

Know that you traverse this path together with proud onlookers and silent supporters. A shared and yet unique personal experience of overcoming adversity. 

In times that you feel as if the cracks in the road start to hinder your footsteps, let others be your shoulder as you make it through the jagged rocks. And when nightfall begins to dim the journey’s end, let others be light’s reason to live beyond oneself.