I was riding the bus to Tagaytay when grief started settling in. I thought of a woman who understood the reality of commuting, of long, vexing bus rides.
I would like to believe how essential grieving is in every healing process. The realities of life are not always attuned to our ideals and aspirations. We can be frustrated. We can be mad. We can be depressed. But above all, we’re allowed to grieve.
Perhaps our country isn’t ready to embrace a new brand of leadership—the kind of governance where leaders are held accountable instead of being glorified for their namesake. Perhaps majority of the Filipinos aren’t brave enough to take a stand against a chronicle of oppression. Perhaps some Filipinos aren’t humble enough to admit to their prideful ideologies. Perhaps all of these are true. However, I am still holding on to the goodness of those whose eyes have opened to the truth.
They say that there is no objective truth, but I’d like to believe that the truth is never neutral. Changes will keep on transpiring, but the truth will remain unchanged.
There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Millions of Filipinos are most likely around the spectrum of these emotions. I won’t say I’m past the first four stages. I won’t even say these stages should go in order. It’s upsetting to accept loss when presented with the best options.
To those grieving hearts, may you find the courage to continue the good fight. We may have lost in the eyes of many, but we have stood our ground. We have found strength in our collective aspirations. And for that, there are no regrets. Only love.
Rebo Jyhad Aguirre,Bacolod City