@BCHAdvocate 26 April 2021 more from that month

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨. All of us were suddenly thrown into a different world where everything outside the walls of our homes is associated with fear. Meeting friends became a risk and many activities became a luxury from being a privilege for the few. Especially for students like you, coping with the new normal was definitely not easy. You are already adjusting now but that doesn’t mean things got easier. You were forced to adjust to unrefined online learning systems that were created without much planning and were rushed for compliance. Home and school became one place and there were less places to take a break. Lessons are harder to learn because our teachers are also adjusting, internet connection isn’t always stable, and you’re forced to use your imagination more than ever due to lack of resources. The new normal isn’t really something to adjust to when it’s full of so much holes. At the end of the day, everybody’s just a victim of circumstance. So, don’t be too hard on yourself and think that you’re not good enough. Things are already hard as it is. Your grades are only indicative of what you know now but you’re still young, you’ll still have the chance to know more. Trying to be better than yourself yesterday will take you farther than trying to be better than someone else. 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚. Many things are out of your control but isn’t that what life is - a journey of chaos where your next step is the only thing you can control. Deal with things one problem at a time. The goal may be far but every next step is always within your reach. Help one another. You’re the only ones who fully understand what all of you are going through so build a community of support instead of competition. And to schools, institutions, and teachers, be more compassionate. Just as much as you are adjusting to this change, the students are too. Please listen to their suggestions and don’t make it hard for them. Help them in their growth and don't be the ones that impede it. In summary, this new normal is far from perfect but it will become a normal that will be easier to tolerate as long as everyone looks for ways to make it better. If you’re working on improving yourself everyday, then don’t stop when it’s hard. Take a break and slowly build the courage to push through the difficult things. Initiatives like Project Padayon will be here to help you so don’t be afraid to tell us what you need. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗣𝗮𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴!