10.07.22

How do we know if our life is getting better? How do we know if we are already happy and content with what we have? Do small things matter? Does being happy with the little things we own matter? Does being happy without anything also considered happiness?

I got to pass @Glez and @bmjc98 's article about Signs that Your Life is Way Better than Before @Glez Signs That Your Life Is Doing Better Than Before Challenge @bmjc98

Then I got a little bit nostalgic. I remembered how we are still lucky to have fewer to no things when we were kids. I'd be happy to share mine.

Here are the signs that my/our life is better than before.

I remember when our youngest sister was born. My parents were at their lowest when it comes to their financial capability. Our father was a Gardener and our mother was a seamstress. Imagine having 3 children studying a year apart from each other. It was very hard for them to sustain our daily needs, and add another baby at that time.

I don't have to let my baby drink Am (rice soup? Tama ba ang term?)

Since my mother still works at home sewing dresses, she lost her breastmilk supply at 6 months. We don't have enough money to buy formula milk for babies. Instead, my mother would buy regular powdered Bear Brand. We would add a scoop of milk and a few ounces of liquid or soup from the rice that we cook.

*Sorry being a mother makes me emotional about this and I am happy that I was able to breastfeed Lil B up to now.

I and my 2 other sisters won't have to use one pair of rubber shoes/sneakers during PE day.

When we were in grade school, Friday is usually the PE day wherein we can wear our PE uniform once a week. Good thing that when we reached grade 3, grade 5, and grade 6 our school scheduled PE on other days. We can take turns using one pair of sneakers during PE days.

We can have morning/afternoon/midnight snacks or simply we can have snacks anytime!

Our mother used to do groceries during payday, one payday. And would tell us to make the supplies last until the next payday. I can still remember that our mother scolds us if we drink Milo or juice too frequently, and we will run out of snacks to bring to school. In addition to this, we don't have to ask our mother if we can eat the snacks we have at home.

We don't have to enroll late in the school

My mother used to be the school seamstress. We make the uniforms in our school and we will need to supply uniforms before we can enroll. Usually, we will be enrolled a week or a few days after the first day of school starts. I can still remember when I was in grade 4, our adviser checked our attendance and I wasn't on the list.

We don't have to use photocopied books

Sometimes we don't have enough money to buy books and thanks to the teachers who are friends with my mother, some teachers gave us books. My father even takes the courage to have a book photocopied in their office for free. It wasn't allowed as he is using office supplies but he still did it so we can have something to use.

One of us won't have to sacrifice not going to school.

There were times when our parents can only have one of us go to school for a day because they don't have enough money. Our mother would ask us, who among us had a quiz or exam that day and she'll be the one to go to school for the day.

No more bututoy.

There were times that we don't have electricity so my mother makes a bututoy or a lamp fueled by used oil with rock salt.

My father won't have to trick the electric meter.

My father used to pour his leftover coffee on the electric meter, the old meter with gears, this won't work in digital meters hahaha. Anyway, he used to pour his leftover coffee on the meter so that ants can go inside the meter as bait. Once lots of ants died and get stuck in between the gears, it will stop. So our meter will stop and our electric bill will be low.

Whew, flashback indeed!

Those were just some and I can still keep going but it makes my heart go into tears because I am happy that we don't have to go through it again, I hope.

Our youngest sister was very lucky. She's still in 3rd-year college and she can get all of our support when it comes to her studies. Clothing, food, allowances, projects, and even the course that she likes.

Before I end this article, I would like to give some positive or happy signs too.

We gained weight

Well since we had jobs, we can now have our own money to buy food that we want, anytime, anywhere.

2 of my sisters gained weight oh me as well, but I gained weight when I got pregnant hahaha.

Bottom line is, we don't have to starve ourselves so we can still have food for the next day.

I can dye my hair

I still don't have the money to go to a salon because I still find it too expensive but I DIY my hair. Buying hair dyes and doing it myself would only cost me half of the rate from a salon. Plus I don't have to blame other people if they ruin my hair hahaha!

My husband and I still have financial problems but we can still get by with some help from our friends and family. We are managing to make our lives to be comfortable.

Mind you that we are still not rich. We just got the chance to make our lives a little better.

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