I attribute my biggest realizations this year to the indisputable seasons of sun and rain.

Circumstances I had to deal with in 2022 ended up consuming my entire headspace, altering my perception, and narrowing my sight—like the feeling of standing under the blazing heat of the sun, and letting it painfully pierce through your skin and sometimes even blind you.

At the thick of those heated months, I felt like I was being melted away and trapped in what seemed like a vast and sweltering desert. In those moments, I have no regrets allowing myself to feel the most unpleasant emotions, but I was in danger of turning my current reality into my entire identity.

It was a daily renewing of my mind and a complete surrender to God and the universe that kept me going. Giving myself grace and attending to my needs became my priority, and I just carried on until I was unknowingly in the process of closing that chapter to welcome another one.

I powered through every single humid day of that torrid season, dragged myself from heatwave to heatwave, until I realized that I was already waking up to the sound of the rain.

Suddenly those scorching hot days seemed to have been washed away, and I find myself in a setting of quiet raindrops and gentle breeze. I felt the most gratifying sense of relief. When I allowed the rain to clear my vision and cool my mind, I realized that the universe had just introduced me to a brand new season.

I guess it’s only when we’re in a completely new atmosphere that we realize things weren’t as bad as they seemed. Maybe we just have to face every single day with courage and faith, knowing that there is an end to our current realities and we have hope in constant change.

What better proof is there that nothing is ever permanent in this world than the changing of seasons?

Having survived a cruel year also made me realize that when I get too caught up in the blinding heat, I forget that I just needed a bit of shade for me to see better and maybe even find a splash of color in the periphery.

We usually get too caught up in the moment that we fail to see a break in the clouds, a silver lining, a ray of light. But once we find that glimmer of hope, kindled by grounding ourselves in the present, we also remember the most comforting reality in life—that everything will simply pass.

A big chunk of my 2022 honestly felt like a stifling and never-ending drought, but after battling through every single day of that season, I inadvertently found myself in the middle of a tender rainfall that had stripped all traces of debilitating pain and insecurity away.

I learned that if we simply ride the ebb and flow of life, we also welcome each circumstance with an open mind and heart no matter how severe or distressing it may be.

That soft drizzle may suddenly turn into a heavy thunderstorm, but I have hope in the clearing of the sky and the rainbow after the rain.

---

It feels like I’m closing this year with a tenderness in my heart that comes from understanding pain, finding acceptance, and continuously choosing love.

Seasons come and go, and I may not know what’ll happen in 2023, but I’m sure that I’ll continue dreaming of a beautiful life in this wonderfully tragic world.

Happy New Year to you who has made it this far! I pray you find joy in your heart, warmth in your hands, and peace in your soul. ❤