You are you, just because.

The media bombards us with constant ads that tell us we need to change the way we are. I swear there was this one time I heard this ad on the radio for a whitening product and it said something along the lines of "pag mas maputi, mas maganda." What I saw from BAYO's "What's Your Mix?" campaign just highlights our sense of inferiority and insecurity with being just Filipino because apparently that isn't enough. There's this Executive Optical billboard we pass by going home from school with the tag line "Don't be a loser" that shows a fair skinned lady going for the guy with dark skin and nerdy glasses while a guy with fair skin stands to one side. I'm surprised it hasn't been taken down yet. And as much as these companies try to deny that there is nothing racist about their ads, the element of racism is still there. It scares me because it feels as if it's already part of our system. As a result, we slowly slip into the sort of mindset that it's not okay to be the way you are.

And because of this, we pretty much lose our own identity.

Why don't we just start accepting ourselves for who we are because no matter how much Belo you put on your skin and how much you force yourself to speak as "slang" as humanly possible, you are Filipino and nothing's ever going to change that. It doesn't matter what color your skin is or how you speak or how you dress. You are Filipino because you are and you don't need to let society and media dictate what that is.

To my parents, with love

Remember that time I called you up, sobbing into the phone and admitting that I had failed a subject for the first time in my life? I didn't have to wait till the last minute to tell you because I found I couldn't keep it to myself. I needed you guys to know, even if I thought you'd be upset or get mad at me. But you did, neither. Dad, you even took me out to have dessert that very night so that I could get some air and clear my head. Remember when I failed a second time and you guys said you'd love me no matter what my grades were? Not everyone's this blessed to have parents like you and I'm sorry that I forget that sometimes.

I have messed up countless times, from letting a glass of water slip from my fingers to failing a class, you've been there to clean everything up and make all the pain go away. I've been through a lot and you have always been there, riding it out with me. Thank you for never giving up on me and believing in me and praying for me. I've grown up knowing I am loved by you. No matter what was going on, no matter how much I screwed up, I knew that that was never going to change. You guys always made sure of that. I cannot thank you enough.

I love you both with all my heart. I do and I hope you guys know that.

With love,
Your daughter.

I did say I like books, movies, and tv shows.

LIKE THIS (AAARRGHHHHH)

In the Fellowship of the Ring (the first movie), after the Fellowship's been formed and they go trekking across Middle Earth and decide to go through the Mines of Moria (sigh), they come across this Balrog which is basically this gigantic, terrifying, creature of shadow and flame.

The Fellowship is comprised of 4 hobbits (who are about 3 ft. 6 in height), two men, a dwarf (4 ft. something), an elf, and this old, grey wizard.

They're all probably thinking the same thing: how in the world... that thing... is... what... we're so dead.

And they're all terrified I'm pretty sure. Even Gandalf (the wizard) was! So they're running away from this monster when Gandalf whirls around and calls to the others all like, GO GO GO GO None of you can handle this one!

So Gandalf faces the evil Balrog and ends up falling with it. (spoiler alert: he doesn't die!)

And a lot of times we feel like the Fellowship. With all the trials and uncertainty life throws at us, it's easy to be scared and shaky on our feet. There are so many times when we just want to turn around and run away from everything scary and uncomfortable.

We feel so tiny compared to how big the enemy may seem.

The rest of the Fellowship feels hopeless after they lose Gandalf because they don't realize how big he actually is. All they knew was how small and unequipped they were. They looked to their own abilities and strengths. That's how we could be sometimes. We go to church and read the Bible and are reminded constantly about how majestic God is, but when problems come we often forget it all and rely on our own strengths and in the end despair because we can't do it alone. 

We do have every reason to be afraid if we don't have God on our side. Every trial will be 3ft.6 Hobbits vs. The Balrog. 

We may feel small a lot of times and the enemy big, but our God is way bigger still. He's bigger than everything else in all the universe and he's way bigger than whatever you are facing. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 

In God, whose word I praise — 

in God I trust and am not afraid.

Psalm 56:3 - 4

begginings

I lost my first blog, so I'm starting over with this one.

I'm Via, an artist who obsesses over LEGO games, picks the bell peppers off of pizza, and lives her life for God's glory.

I like books, movies, and television shows.

So you will see a lot of that here.

And I just remembered there is cake in the house.

"Cake, cake, CAKE!" I chant as I run to the fridge.