[Everyone draws from their past; all the things they hold near and dear. Many times our decisions are influenced by previous experiences or tender memories. Each person’s uniqueness can be attributed in part to the uniqueness of their past.]
My family is unique, to say the least. Most of us are from halfway across the world, in the Philippines, the place that we first called home. The meaning of home differs for everyone, yet it seems to always gravitate toward family and heritage. In my mind, I have two homes; where I am now, surrounded by my family and friends, and 80 V Mapa St, Davao City, Philippines, on the first floor of that grey building, the very same building where my mother first brought me, where I took my first steps, and where I spoke my first words. While I no longer live in that grey building, I still keep it dear to my heart.
We learn from our experiences. What I choose to hold dear influences my future. I don’t really love the grey building on V Mapa Street. I actually love the people that were there, the memories I made, and the lessons I learned. 14 years later, and I don’t recall too much about that period in my life. I do remember, however, how that period in my life shaped who I am.
One of the only things that I can recall from all those years ago are the faces of my grandparents. I remember the love and care they gave me, and how it made me feel. Whenever I look back at that memory, it reminds me to show love and care to anyone who crosses my path. One single memory determines how I try to interact with others.
Today, I believe that every memory has meaning. Each and every experience invokes something inside of me, and makes me move in a certain direction. The little boy who lived in the small building in Davao del Sur is now a not-so-little man applying to universities across the United States. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the memories I hold dear, or the lessons I learned.
The lessons and experiences I’ve witnessed lay the foundation for the next chapter of my life. I’ll never stop finding new opportunities or making new memories, so I will never stop learning and growing from them. University presents me with a greater challenge, but a greater opportunity to grow through these new memories and experiences. The memories I make, while vastly different than the ones I made when I was small, will still guide me into the future, just like the memories in that small gray building guided me.