touchdown

It has been four long years.

Every day starts very early and ends very late. Very long, indeed. And yet, I never really noticed the time that has passed. And in a few days, I will be at the end of another chapter. It will be my graduation day.

Before I started law school, I was clueless how difficult law school could be. Coming from UP, where most students are lax (with a certain degree of superiority complex) and the system is forgiving, it was a bit of a shock that Beda law school is altogether different. Yes, it requires intelligence. But more than that, it requires hard work -- a lot of it. And of course, prayers.

I was taught the real fear of failing. I dread looking at the grades of a subject or two every semester. In fact, I never looked at the grades myself. Contrary to what others might think, those who do not understand, my fears were never unfounded. I just don't want to extend law school years, as I am already at the bottom level of my poverty. Plus, law school had already been long overdue.

As some are aware, I am a working student. And my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer during the end of my first year of law. Talk about timing. I was already replete of savings because of my tuition and xerox-copied books. Several times, I thought of dropping out. Chemotherapies are not cheap. And the daily medicines, well, they are more than what a family's daily meals are worth. That, and my father is a kidney transplantee, and medicines are also essential for daily living. I was already on the verge of quitting. But I never did. Thanks to the few people who readily helped me. Helped me without expecting anything.

This may sound a valedictory speech, but with merely graduating, I feel like more than a valedictorian. And I owe this to my angels. Thank you Grace, Anna Grace, Timi, Pedro, and Paul for all the prayers. Every exams you pray for me harder. Pedro and Paul, thank you also to your family for all the moral support. I love them like my own. Thank you, Joel and Tita Lucy for sending me money to help with my mom's treatment, even without me asking. Thank you, Tita Menchu and Tita Sheila for attending to my mom during her weakest moments. Dad and I could not have done it alone. Thank you Pedro for your all your help before and during my first years of law school. You encouraged me to start again. Thank you Mommy and Daddy for taking care of me. I am such a baby. I love you. Thank you Mama for your regular help with mom's medicines. Thank you Lola for constantly helping me with my tuition and for loving my mom dearly. I will be forever grateful, and law school would be an utter impossibility without you. And thank you, Paul, you are my law school's angel. You have helped me  in every way you can. In every aspect there is. In every angle there could be. You are (since you fancy cliches) the wind beneath my wings. You are such an angel, thank you.

It has been four tough years, and yet here I am now. I guess nothing is really impossible when you believe. And when you strive hard. I guess in the end, it is inevitable that you will reach the moment of touchdown. All it takes is ora et labora (prayer and hard work). And people you could depend on.