It's Saint Mary Mazzarello's feast day today, May 13th. (It's special because my school is named after her.)
And my village is also having a traditional mini festival, which is also every May 13th of the year.
This post is going to be a little different... a little bit personal... a little bit about my life.
Turning back on my last year of highschool in St. Mary Mazzarello School, I must say that I did changed. Changed for the better. It is where I met a lot of different people, but mostly girls. (Obviously since it's an exclusive all-girls school) And yes, you could say that I have a minimal experience of being with around boys. I do have two brothers, but it's completely different. All five years of my life in school, I was surrounded with girls the whole time. (I transferred there when I was in 6th grade until senior year)
 |
| At a Retreat House; This is a prescribed uniform that we should wear on Fridays. (messy bun because it was hot) |
When I first came to SMMS, I instantly liked it and felt a little déjà vu. I was shy though, because I was going through awkward phase at that time... and I didn't have friends. As my first year goes, I was experiencing a lot of new things. I had frenemies (enemies that pretends to be your friends), I was going through adolescent stage, I had trouble adjusting to the new environment, because coming from a co-ed private school entering an exclusive all-girls school run by FMAs was a whole new big thing for me back then. (For those of you who don't know, FMAs or Salesian Sisters are a religious community of women who live together in the spirit of Don Bosco and Mary Mazzarello, or nuns as most of you call it.) But the most important and special thing that I wouldn't forget about this place, is that I met my second family in life. I had sisters, 52 sisters to be exact. (yes, we are 53 in one classroom, including me) As a class, we have this odd and very random thing about naming our section. One of my classmates, and a very close bestie of mine, came up with a theme of a captain. As in Captain America from Avengers. Therefore we called ourselves as "CapTENs". Because we're "captains" of our lives and we are in "grade ten" (I really hope you get this... hahaha) Anyway, my teachers there were also like my friends that I can hang out with when we're outside the classroom. It wasn't a typical school where you had to treat your mentors like they grade you all the time. In fact, my friends and I used to hang out with several teachers every recess or lunch breaks, or even after classes. And our principal is very fun to hang out with, as well. Believe it or not, we were at the principal's office multiple times, not because of a disciplinary action, but because of talking to the principal like she's just one of our bffs. We'd talk about certain things like "...sports festival this year will be awesome...", "...prom this year would be unforgettable...", laugh about what happened in a school event in the past years, that kinds of things, and sometimes we'd ask for advice like if we were having a hard time in math class, or "a friend of mine isn't talking to me..." or any other psychological stuff. Our principal is a Salesian Sister so it's not really that difficult for us to open up to her, or to other Sisters, and tell them how we feel. I think I can say that unlike in some public highschools, we do not tolerate bullying or any forms of hurting each other. We do have some glitches or "dramas" between some of us, but not that big that can't be fixed.
 |
| MY CLASS. BATCH 2014. (That's me with the circle. This is our uniform for three days every week. I think we are incomplete in this photo, though...) |
I guess all I'm trying to say is, sometimes the best people who come to your life will not be going to be on your side forever. But it is because of this place that I found myself and knew that I was capable of a lot of things. I had mentors, of course, that taught me not only lessons in class but also lessons in life. And trust me on this, the best mentor you could ever have is God. He may be invisible, but He is there, waiting for you to talk to him every night before you sleep, listening to your struggles in life, and watches you over the years. (Or maybe your guardian angel does.)
Time goes on and you have to move on. And all those awesome years in SMMS won't come back. I am exceptionally blessed to meet these amazing people in my life who I can consider as my sisters. I may meet another set of new people as I step into college, but they will always have a place in my heart. Yes, all of them. Even though my heart is as tiny as my fist, they all fit. I want to tell you everything about my experiences in highschool, but one blog post wouldn't be enough...
So, what else can I say?
Treasure every moment and, of course, CARPE DIEM. (Seize the Day)
God bless and good luck.
Always and forever,
-AJ ♡
x
