Reaching The Unreachable

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.”

- Tommy Lacorda

As I see people’s faces having a million doubts thinking skeptically about if they can do something or not, I somehow, at some point, can imagine and ponder just for a little while and put myself to where they stand. Questions now begin to rumble and play in my head. What if I am the one in their position having the same fate? Is there really a line that divides the possible and the impossible?

Living in a fast lane of life’s highways can never be easy. How much more those who even don’t have anything or something to lose? I got lucky enough that despite all the barriers and humps, I was still able to pursue my college education. But when I turn my head to the other side of the world, the deafening sound of people’s cry can push me to the limits that I should never let this chance to be wasted. I am pitiful for some people because they were born in this world having very small chances of reaching their stars. Their dreams. Their only hope for a better living. I am not putting down their capabilities; in fact, I am encouraging their sleeping selves to act. In the realm of reality, I humbly say that life may be unfair for us. But if you just let yourself rot in time, you gain nothing but wasted time. It is just a test from Him in above.

I can never forget the story of my uncle. He was the eldest among the seven children of a not so fortunate family. He never enjoyed his younger life as much as like other child. He has to work as hard as a stone in order to earn a small amount just to buy basic needs. It’s not only for him but also for his younger siblings. He wakes up earlier than the chirping of the birds to sell vegetables in the market together with his brothers, or sometimes with his sisters. That time will be their time to bond with each other. Then, he has to go to school because he believes that education is their door for a brighter life. One thing that is in him is that he loves to read things. He even read the newspaper used to wrap dried fishes in the market. By that example, I can see his strong determination to learn and eventually, to earn a college degree. I can never imagine some of his sacrifices. I remember the story of my mother that he even bought two pencils and a pad paper. They never thought that he will cut the pencils in to seven parts and so for the pad paper to be given away to his siblings. No wonder, he is an ideal model for all of them. By that, they were all inspired to go to school like their brother. Sometimes, he joins the farmers to plant something in the fields. In the end, the farmers will give him s little share of their harvest. By the time he reached college, his determination drove him to apply for some scholarships. That was his only hope to be able to fulfill his dreams. Fortunately, he was accepted as a COCOFED scholar and was able to send him to a prestigious university in Cagayan de Oro. He took a course involving agriculture. It went good for him because he learned a block of knowledge before for having a n exposure from it. He graduated with flying colors by his own sweat. His mission to uplift their living came to reality. He was the one to be able to support his siblings to finish their studies including my mother. Great thing for all of them that they all become professionals. My uncle now became a president of a non government organization (NGO) and earns a lot more than from his yesterdays. He always go in and out in the country to have some important meetings with his friends and also to enjoy life what can offer to him and his family.

Some people think that they were born in this world unlucky that they have nothing, they will also die as nobody. Believing in yourself and having some ambition to be somebody someday is not bad. It may be the force to push us to the point to reach something that we always think as unreachable. There is no really as impossible. It is just a matter of mind set of a person. We are the one who carves every line in our palm for our own future. Life is what we make it. Believe in yourself. Believe in your capabilities. Believe in Him.