It was the night before I entered my freshman year in college. I had butterflies in my stomach, irrational fears in my head, and prayers in my heart. I wrote a simple message on this small piece of paper and post it just above the door knob in my room. I put it there on purpose, that whenever I'd start a day, this will be the first thing that I could at least remind myself in case that I would need to deal with any challenges. This simple note literally survived storms, summer heat, re-painted walls and kids' curiosity. This simple note gave me courage, it was there during my midterms and finals, my thesis defense, when I lost someone or those times that I would think I can't. When things are too tough and you get the feeling of giving up, it's just hanging in there when I'm about to go out and deal with the world's plot-twisted reality.
After college and as I went on ahead now to live in a different place, I no longer see this on any doors before I'd start my day. When I went back home, my room was re-painted. I asked my younger brother if they had seen this note. My family is aware of the weird things I do, the unusual things I collect and they are pretty much aware how sentimental I am to this kind of stuff. Luckily, even if they re-painted my room, they kept this one in shelves.
I put it back to where it was originally posted. I stared at it, and I just realized that after all these years, this small piece of paper somehow is one of the things that kept me going. A little piece of this reminded me of all the things I survived. It totally looks different now but it survived. I kinda consider it like an old letter from the younger version of me who was at that time was someone who is anxious but brave enough to remind herself in the future days that she can and she will and she did..
