NO ORDINARY

by: Guyam

As to how society defines childhood, it is the time for children to be in school and at play, to grow strong and confident with the love and encouragement that they get from their families and those people who are close to them. Childhood is a phase of life where children should live free from fear, safe from violence, and protected from abuse. And as for our very own Jose Protacio Rizal, he had a beautiful and peaceful childhood. He grew up with a loving and disciplinarian mother and a hard-working father.

Rizal was just like us, an ordinary boy living his life with his family. Plays with his brother and sisters, also a devoted son of the church. Reading about Rizal’s childhood made me reflect on my memories. Maybe as we grow older we tend to forget how to be content and be grateful for what we have because as we age we experience a lot of things that taught us lessons. Lessons that may change our perception about life. I also realize that Rizal died not just fighting for our freedom but also for the future children of our country. He believes that “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan” because Rizal himself was a sign of hope even when he’s a young boy. Even though he died in the hands of the Spaniards he did have a good life from his childhood up until his death because he knew that his beloved country would be free.

At these trying times where almost all of us are losing our hope of surviving this pandemic and the brutality of our government, I think this is the right time for us to reflect and remember that we’re only humans. We cannot stop what’s inevitable but we can always find a way to surpass and live through it. That’s why I think Rizal is the best example, he lived his life without hesitation and that for me is what we should be doing. We should get going and fight whatever problem we may encounter along the way.