Let's be metamorphic

Definition from: Dictionary.com

Recently, my country has just crossed paths with the meanest and strongest typhoon ever formed this year inciting an unfathomable wreckage upon thousands of people. The aftermath brought about by typhoon Haiyan sent the media into frenzy, filling the news and the internet with so many horrific details reporting about thousands of dead people and houses and infrastructures wrestled down by the storm. Not to mention their irking issues about the government being indirectly labelled as slowpokes by the public and Korina Sanchez lambasting Anderson Cooper with the words, "doesn't know where he speaks of".

It's been a couple of weeks since the storm hit the Philippines and I could use some good news right about now because I swear, if I see another dead body lying on a pile of debris or hear another word from a fellow berating the government again then I would need to break something, either a vase or my irritating neighbor's face. 

On the serious note, thank heavens because slowly, people from the affected areas are starting to receive a great amount of help not only from their fellow Filipinos but from people all over the world. I would personally like to send my deepest gratitude to those who helped and prayed for the fast rebuilding and recovery of the victims of the typhoon. You guys are indeed appreciated. 

Let's jump to the main point of this article. This afternoon I was looking for ideas on what to write on my next blog post then I came across a commentary written by Ninotchka Roska. She's known as a journalist and a literary writer. She's an activist and fights for the rights of women. 

I was amazed by her commentary, not only because it was different, but because it was awakening, well at least that's how I found it. I was stuck in the cycle of belief telling myself that we, Filipinos are very resilient which is true, there's no doubt about that. We can take anything that life hits us, whether a big punch from an economic downfall, loss, or even a typhoon. Sometimes I think we're so resilient, we don't just endure any hardship, we welcome them.

We really are resilient, aren't we? 

According to Ninotchka's commentary(Click here for her full commentary), we are not. 

There are times when we bend but there are other times in our lives when we simply ought to break. When I lost my grandmother who took care of me when I was a kid, I broke and it broke me more when I failed to attend her funeral. When I lost an essay writing competition, I couldn't bend myself after losing, I simply broke. Then I realized, I am not resilient as I thought I was. The most important thing I realized is, breaking is not so bad after all because I realized that I can always put myself back together. The best part of breaking is the next time you see yourself, you're a stronger and wiser person.

As defined by Dictionary.com, being resilient means the ability of something to return to its original form; being able to spring back. Is that all we do? We only spring back? We desperately hanker for the light at the end of the tunnel, only to retain who we once were? If you're answer is no then Ninotchka is right when she said in her commentary that we are metamorphic and not resilient.

What does she mean by metamorphic? 

After going through a tough time, we break our former selves and transform into someone stronger and wiser and I think that's what the victims of typhoon Haiyan has become. I am sure that all of them has broken down after the typhoon hit the country but now that rainbows are beginning to appear ( I also mean this literally because there are reported appearances of rainbows in certain affected areas), gradually, they are restructuring their lives while getting ready to face the world once again with a stronger personality and a wiser mind. 

I think it's about time for us to look at ourselves differently. Whether we're a victim of a typhoon or the usual road blocks we come across in our personal lives, it's going to help to keep reminding ourselves that we're more than resilient. We're not superheroes for crying out loud. We get hurt and we break down but we rise from the challenge, we fight, and we succeed in the end and I believe that's more than resiliency. I completely agree with Ninotchka. We learn from the hardships that we go through, we grow and become stronger individuals.