A SIBLING'S WORRY : THE JAR, JUSTICE FOR A THIEF AND THE PAIN OF INCONSIDERATION

As the eldest sister, my greatest joy comes from seeing my siblings succeed in life. No matter how many struggles tried to get in the way of their studies, I never stopped believing that they deserve a better future.

One of my biggest dreams is to give my family the kind of comfortable life we never had while we were growing up — a home without constant worries about money, food on the table every day, and the freedom to dream bigger.

Since my time that I've been studying my parents were very supportive. Even though it will cost them a lot of work and utang as long as they were able to provide for my needs. From projects, financial, and starting a small business.

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The Jar Made of Clay

My youngest brother had a school project to make a clay jar. He told me they’re not required to submit it, they just need to try making one at home like the sample their teacher showed. Of course, he insisted that Mama help him.

Watching him made me smile because it took me back to my own school days. Back then, Mama could never say no whenever I needed help with my projects. She’s so talented — she can practically make anything with her hands. Seeing my brother now, I realized some things never change.

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It was my mother who first thought of doing business at school. She would be the one to prepare everything — cooking, packing, pricing. We were simply the ones selling them in the classroom.

What makes me really proud though is seeing how willing they are to help our parents. I know they feel a little shy selling at school sometimes, but they do it anyway. They understand that this is what keeps them going — it helps pay for their daily allowance and eases the burden at home. That kind of responsibility at their age makes me so proud to be their ate.

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The Taro and Banana Chips

We started making chips. My brother Nonoy sells taro chips, while my other brother Toto and my sister sell banana chips. Before this, they were selling vegetable lumpia. But because of the frequent blackouts in our place, we had to stop. The power would go out suddenly, so we switched to making chips instead — something that was easier to prepare and didn’t spoil as quickly.

But what truly broke my heart was what happened to my sister at her boarding house. One day, she came home with a heavy heart, a worried soul, and deep regret. She told us, with tears in her eyes, that she had lost the money she earned from selling chips. That money was supposed to be for her boarding house rent. She was shocked to find that the cash she had hidden in her wallet was gone.

I felt anger rising in me, and a deep pain from the inconsideration of whoever did it. My sister suspected one of her roommates, but without evidence, we couldn’t blame anyone. We had so many things we wanted to say. In the end, I just told her to let it go and to consider it as limos — maybe the person needed it more than she did. After what happened, my sister even thought of quitting her boarding house. But my mother insisted that she just look for another place or switch rooms instead. It would be too difficult for her to come home every day, especially since she has a 6:30 pm class.

For now, we can’t change everything overnight. But what we can do is to stand on our own two feet, help ourselves, and keep moving forward. By starting a business and working hard, we’re not just trying to survive each day. We’re trying to thrive, to build something better.

And the reason behind all of this is simple: we want to ease the burden our parents have carried on their shoulders for us for so long.
As for what happened to my sister, I can only hope that the person who took her money realizes what they did. I hope guilt finds them, and that they learn to be more considerate of other people’s struggles. Even just a little sympathy would mean a lot.

That's all for today. Thank you for reading and stopping by. Lovelots 😘

_emmin◉⁠‿⁠◉msss