FATED


Papa was scanning some old photos and he sent me these.

I've always thought Papa and I looked alike when we were children... same chinky eyes that would disappear when we smiled our same shy smiles, same light bronze toning our skins, same regular and commonplace noses, same oval faces bearing the same generous space of forehead.

That's how we started.

I know the old cliche. Of how we grow and evolve into the kind of persons we are so that when life decides it's finally time to meet, we are in our most perfect states for that triste... bearing all the mistakes we've committed, all the feathers on our cap, all the tentative, faltering and stumbling steps we've gingerly taken in the past. The 'who we are' crossing the threshold of 'who we can become,' together.

And then we grow some more, make some more mistakes, maybe add a few more feathers on our caps. But the steps we would take would no longer be tentative, nor faltering, because we know that beside our footprints will be another pair... just beside, not a step ahead nor behind. Together... we've found our niche in another's heart and our search is over. And we merit ourselves with a little more courage, a little more confidence, our shoulders held a little straighter, bearing faces held a little higher.

Of course, not all stories are written this way. Some are a little more interesting, some a little more sad, some a little more earth-shattering, some a little more poignant, some a little more pragmatic.

And it's all here for you to enjoy, to reflect upon, to relate with, to be inspired by.

And maybe, just maybe, we can indulge ourselves into thinking that we have all evolved into the kind of people who are in their most perfect states to share these stories with you.