"EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON" BY VILLALEON, ISABELLA MAYER P.
“Everything Happens For a Reason”
Losing a loved one is one of the hardest experiences anyone can face, and losing my grandfather was no exception. He was not just my grandfather, he was like a second father to me, my No. 1 supporter, and even my biggest fan. From the time I was little, he took care of me, loved me unconditionally, and always cheered me on. His hugs were a safe space where I felt understood, loved, seen, heard and comforted. “August 7, 2021 5:05 pm” is the time when my world turned into a nightmare, he passed away and went to rest with God. I felt an unbearable pain inside me and at that moment, I felt lost, hopeless, and broken. I even thought about ending my life to follow him because the sadness was so deep and it seemed like everything and everyone had been taken away from me.
I still remember how during those first days after his death, I acted beyond what I thought I could bear. I didn’t just feel sad, I felt like giving up completely, I was aiming to find peace, but it seemed impossible because my whole world was filled with emptiness and confusion. I felt like God had abandoned me, because why else would he take someone so kind and good away from me? I was angry and devastated, and my thoughts were full of pain and disbelief. I even asked God “Lord nganong lolo paman nako?”, “ Lord unsaon nalang ko og wala siya?” & “Lord please one last chance to spend time with him, one last chance to hug him tight and to say i love you”.
During this painful experience, I realized that although I was overwhelmed by grief and sadness, there was a part of me that was searching for peace, meaning, and purpose, something beyond just surviving the pain. It was in those moments that I discovered how human beings have the power to rise above even the heaviest burdens, that we are not only bodies filled with feelings but also minds capable of understanding and hope. As the philosopher Viktor Frankl said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” This resonated with me because I learned that while I could not change what happened, I could change how I responded to it.
This experience taught me the importance of moving beyond our emotions and opinions to search for truth. Before, my partial view was that my grandfather’s death meant God didn’t care, but that was just my pain speaking. I learned that truth requires patience, openness, and reflection allowing myself to see beyond my suffering.
When I tried to understand everything around me, the love from my family, the memories I shared with my lolo dad, and even the bigger picture of life and faith, my perspective began to change. At first, my sorrow blocked me from seeing anything else; I viewed my lolo dad's death with only pain and confusion. But as days passed, I tried to take a step back and look at everything the love my family continued to give, the precious memories I held, and even my faith that slowly began to grow stronger. My holistic view helped me understand that grief is a part of life’s cycle and that God’s ways are sometimes beyond our human understanding.
In seeking truth rather than holding to sorrow, I found strength, hope, and a deeper appreciation for life and love. This showed me that we are more than our feelings; we have the capacity to find meaning even in loss. Now, I believe that even in the darkest moments, there is light to be found, and that hope and faith can guide us forward. As Helen Keller said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.” My grandfather’s love remains my guiding light, and through this experience, I have grown in ways I never expected.