To the 1-year old little marshmallow. When you were born your mommy's siblings laughed when they saw you for the first time. Not the pretty girl they're expecting to see. Be more particular? You were fucking dark. But that's okay. I think you're just adorable and not everyone understands that.
To the three-year old sea-urchined hair who likes taking a bath at the street canal. You were lost until someone called you out and freaked her out like she was about to rip her scalp off seeing you bathing in dark mud. Oh I knew you were a fan of swimming. I won't tell you how many times you were bathed it's just too embarrassing. Seven.
You have been a superstar in kindergarten singing Tootsie Guevarra and Ara Mina while Ate Ging was giving you a ponytail hair that horribly hurts. I believed in your oozing confidence regardless of the number of enemies you had in Chinese school. I hate to say it but she was right: that thing sprouting from the tree was just a seed, not a turtle which you tried hard to prove.
Admit it, getting lost in the newly-opened SM Mall was no fun at all. You may enjoy going out to places, but when it gets dark you've imagined yourself already begging for a trip home.
I can't be more proud of you topping the honor's list in third grade. You could have rubbed on their faces the little blue certificate. You have the bragging rights anyway so what the heck. Am I right if I told you that pulling off your tantrums over a box of Sakura cards was worth it. But of course you don't know how to use it as you pretend shuffling it in front of jealous grade school kids, including your very first crush.
People begin calling you ugly names to be more specific, Bakekang. Your seatmate even told you you stink when you sweat. That was the beginning of your self-esteem blowing off and realized how you have bad hygiene issues. The worst part of it was people calling you adopted and even asked mom if you really were and she told me you are pretty anyway. Nobody Understands.
Ah, high school. It felt like being in the movies providing the typical American high school setting. You begin to see couples making out in class, guys get raged over your friend's new phone to watch porn ended with a sky-high plan bill and smokers. Freshmen year highlights lunch time when this guy kneels down in front of you and pulls of a ring asking for marriage. You cried, really. And with great pride you kicked his balls when he did it until the third time.
The rest was not significant until senior year. You've build your set of friends and you call them best friends which pretty rocked because you sing the same songs. The Tide Is High by the Atomic Kitten was the all-time favorite. Finally you've found friends you can't live without.
College year was moving so fast! Everything was fast-paced and people whom you got close soon becomes "hi-hello" buddies. But some of them were for keeps. They're the awesomest people You've met. They like sitcoms and indie music and going out after school hours. You can imagine being with these people in ten years time in a pub still talking about HIMYM and Pentatonix and making fun of his p*nis(The size of a RedWood! true story).
Can we not mention the first time you got drunk?
You cried your ass out in your first heartbreak. You thought he was the only one. You begin to degrade yourself and look like a complete idiot because you think "The stars brought Us Together" which you begin to think it was bullshit.
And then you fell again. For a man whom you think is the master of YouTube knowing every dark corners of its universe. It was amazing how he took you to places you'd die to see. Everything was a good adventure and both of you are currently looking for good places to put on the list.
It has been nineteen years of sparkles, shit, heartbreak, laughter, happiness, walks in the rain and make out moments with TV and junk food. Everything was amazing and without them you don't know who you could have been. Every experience makes you who you are right now, and you have the obligation to thank one of them. somewhere, out there are more amazing things to happen. We don't know maybe you'd slit your wrist or jump off a building due to contained happiness. Okay a bit exaggerating it to prove a point. You did good and I can't be more proud.
PS. Comb your hair more often.