"The world isn't a mosaic of coincidences. It's all interconnected."
(Jostein Gaarder, The Castle in the Pyrenees)
Hey there sister dear!
Well, this is supposed to be a retreat letter of some sort but with all honesty, do you really think I'd go with the conventional? I was asked by the parents to do this so I was just complying with the orders. And there you have it. It's not like there was really something I'd want to say.
Let's end the crap here. Just go and enjoy the retreat. Or watch people cry while they read their letters. Or maybe you could just read other people's letters? Yeah, something along those lines. See you March? Take care.
Regards (with all sarcasm),
Lisa ;)
P.S.
And in case the retreat organizing committee or something of your college returned my email asking me for something more sensible, here goes...
(The aforementioned was really part of this like a prologue or something.)
So you were in a retreat but there wasn't really anything I could say that would be religious since I was not one myself. If you want something of the sort I'd recommend you read The Castle in the Pyrenees or Maya. Both stories were quite mind-boggling and partly touching the topic of religion. Just a bit. I have a copy of both sent back to Cavite, just look for it.
You are ABOUT to finish schooling in a few months' time (keyword: about, but Congratulations! in advance). Most people would call it ending a phase of your life. But aren't you just technically moving out of that phase so you could continue on with what you have started to pursue as your career? Or maybe not. But c'mon. You took something as marketing or finance or accounting for your program and it's not like you'd become a painter after you graduate right? And suck it, you don't have all those creative juices running in your blood. That aside, the moment you have decided to continue on with the program that you have chosen was the start of your career.
The moving on phase was something inevitable that you will eventually have to undergo in order for you to start another chapter of your story. And starting anew equals to changes. What will be awaiting you after you received that diploma and stepped down that stage? Definitely, it will not be the same old quarters and same old life that you have been used to living for four years. There won't be a need for you to drag yourself to go to your classroom and listen to your professors talk the entire daytime. Or watch your classmates go wild when the prof. was absent. No more late nights study sessions for quizzes much more difficult than your prelims. No need to prepare for home-works or group activities. No need to worry about getting called for recitations because you did not read a chapter of your book. And no need to worry about singing or dancing because you were late for your class. And most of all, there won’t be any grades to worry about.
There wouldn’t be anything of those after your summa cum laude finished reading his or her speech, thanking the entire world of things none of you guys actually cared about. What awaits you is a life of plain, old reality - a world not entirely different, but different nonetheless, from what you have known up until now. And after you exit that building where you had your graduation-slash-commencement exercise, everything will just be different and you wouldn’t even realize it.
Where will that piece of paper that you worked so hard for four years actually bring you? Saying that it would grant you easy access to success, given that you actually came from one of the prestigious universities in the country, is old news. Personally, I think that educational background doesn't help you much in real life. Sure you came from a good school and were given basic knowledge of what you chose for your career. That doesn't mean though that all the companies will be going after you to give you employment. It will still be about how you build your name in your chosen field.
In the new phase that you are about take in a few months' time, there will be no fairy-tale like fantasies whatsoever. If you think that a student's life was purely torture, this is your chance to think about it again. Actually, you can enjoy every second of it starting now because in the near future you will definitely long for that. This wasn't meant to scare you or anything. Maybe some stuff during college was just meant to torture you and prepare you for the real world. The thing is, life wants to screw with you. Always. There will be times when you get what you didn't expect. Exciting, eh?
I know this sounds like a lecture and all but heck, I don't even know what I'm supposed to write for a retreat letter. At least there was something right? Oh, and since I'm already at this point why not finish it until the end eh?
So yeah, whatever you choose to do after you graduate – whether you asked for a graduation gift (and you won’t get anything from me just to let you know) and have a tour somewhere, or be a bum for a while or enter the work force as soon as possible – it’s all up to you. You're free to do whatever you want and you deserve a break anyway. I know how school can be such a hell of a place too. And I also know the feeling of getting released from all the stress you had been put through for four years.
So little sister, just enjoy the remaining months that you have left carrying that student title – unless you actually planned to further your studies and enroll for a graduate school for some master’s degree. All those fun times you have as a student won’t last for long. Soon you will have to face the reality of living, of being part of the community as a responsible citizen.
After you start that new phase of your life, even if you try to go back to the old times, it just won’t feel the same. So maybe, you can start to cherish what you have now – your time as it is. After all, nothing lasts forever and change is inevitable.
I know I'm not making any sense at all and I'm mostly talking crap. I actually have nothing to say but I'm forcing the words out of me so bear with it.
And lastly, I know I can be too annoying at times…most of the times actually. But hey, it was my job to do that since only I can be your biological older sister. All you have to do is be annoyed and bear with me, that's actually your job as the younger sister. (insert evil laugh here) I didn't get Mama and Papa's message but I can just make a wild guess. Boink's as well.
We love you (probably) even if you are one crazy daughter-slash-sister all the time...
who couldn't wait until the following day to go to the salon to have her fringe cut, hence spending a few weeks looking like an idiot who had trouble with the fan;
who couldn't peel an Indian mango for dear life (at least I hope you know how to do it now?);
who loves to eat like a freaking hippo every hour;
who likes to rummage through my closet for a top;
who sings like a broken stereo;
who have an addiction for Korean artists;
who spends money with no care in the world;
who felt like and acted like she's an idol every single second;
who used to be mistaken as my twin sister (like seriously?);
who would always keep her closet far from being neat and tidy;
who would always act like she was a sanity-deprived person;
and many more other stuff.
So some things said above could be for exaggeration, but some were true. I think most of it was true to be honest. I really do. And since this was a letter and all, I could just tell you all the other stuff that you didn't know about, since I won't be hearing from your for a while. Or you could try calling me? ;)
And I'm really running out of things to say now. But hey, I'll just be here and you could ask me anything while I'm still breathing. Surely, I'll give you all the nonsense you wanted. :)
Just remember, we love you no matter what kind of person you are. Even if you become someone the entire world will hate. We’ll be there for you. Always.
All good things must come to an end and so is this crap. So just enjoy every moment of your life. Cheers to your batch! ;)
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