Life With Louie

 

Life With Louie

        My name is Louie. I was born in Cavite City and grew up in Soro-Soro Ibaba. I consider myself fortunate to have been born into a loving family with kind and caring parents. According to them, when I was still a baby, I already drank a lot of milk, which is why I grew up to be a healthy and chubby child.

        As I grew older, I slowly began to discover the world around me. I learned how to play and interact with the children in our neighborhood. One of the happiest moments of my childhood was when I celebrated my seventh birthday. I remember feeling so excited because many children came to celebrate with me, and there was even a clown who entertained us. It was truly a joyful day that I will always remember.

      As the years passed, I continued to learn more about life. My father often took me with him whenever he met with his friends. Since I was the only boy and the youngest among five siblings, they fondly called me “Louie Boy.” I also enjoyed the times when our family would go out together. Those moments made me feel that our family was complete and united.

    I also remember my cousins teaching me how to play basketball. However, at that time, I was not very interested in the sport. Instead, I was known as the child who loved rambutan very much. I could eat several kilos of it in one sitting, which is why the older people in our neighborhood gave me the nickname “Rongring.”

    During my elementary years, I joined a competition called Mr. Santa Claus. By God’s grace, I won the title in the elementary category. As a reward, my father bought me a bicycle. That gift became one of the most unforgettable memories I have of him.

    When I was thirteen years old, the pandemic began. It brought many changes not only to our family but also to the entire world. At the same time, we were also worried about the eruption of Taal Volcano. Because of these events, most of our time was spent inside our home to stay safe. We slowly began to experience the hardships brought by the loss of jobs and the limitations on going outside. During this time, online classes also became part of my education, and I learned how to use different gadgets for my studies.

    When I was fourteen years old, I experienced the most painful moment of my life—the passing of my father during the pandemic. It was very shocking for all of us because we knew that he did not have any serious illness. Losing a parent is an extremely painful experience. There was even a time when I lost my appetite because of the deep sadness I felt.

    After my father was laid to rest, I truly felt how much our family had changed. Life became difficult for us, especially for my mother, who was left to support our family. The situation became even harder because of the heavy expenses for my siblings’ education. During those times, we truly experienced the struggles of life.

    By God’s grace, my siblings were eventually able to graduate and find jobs. Little by little, they started helping our family, and our situation slowly began to improve.

    Now, I am seventeen years old. Because of the challenges I have faced, I believe that I have become stronger and more mature. I continue to hold on to the dream that someday we will overcome our struggles. I want to help my family and provide them with a better and more comfortable life—something that I believe would make my father proud.

    As I move forward to a new chapter of my life as a college student, I place my full trust in God to guide my path wherever He may lead me. I strongly believe that He will continue to guide and protect our family.