jessa

Everyday Stories, Lived

Life

  • “Red is for hurt” and other generalizations

    One evening, my niece pointed out a pimple that popped on my face, leaving some redness on my skin and some hint of blood. She asked, “What’s that red on your face? It’s red, and there’s blood. It hurts?” It was rather an innocent question, but I can’t help think about how she associates one… Read more


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  • A new way of living

    Some people want to remove the spiritual out of everything. And that also includes neglecting metaphysics by just focusing on the material side of things. I can’t help think about such people whenever they encounter death. When somebody dies, your mind wanders about the brevity of life and the purpose of all the toil you… Read more


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  • Looking for what’s missing

    You like to look for what’s missing. And most of the time, you want to be the one who finds it first. But not everything you look for is material. Sometimes, they are achievements that other people have (and you obviously don’t), relationships, and everything within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. What if the one you really… Read more


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  • We remember generosity

    Think of that person from childhood you received a gift from. You might have forgotten their name or just remember vaguely about what they look like. But surprisingly, you can remember the feeling of that moment when you received that gift from their hands. Was it the smile from within you that you remember? The… Read more


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  • Rabble-rousers

    The malice they spread is contagious, viral. And if you are not careful with your biases, it’ll be easy for you to take sides. However, just like every division, not taking a side is also interpreted as taking a side. But do you really grasp how complex human relationships are? As difficult as it is… Read more


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  • Keeping up with everyone

    This is a rather impossible task, even if social media tells you otherwise. Because knowing someone better takes a lot of time and even effort to actually make that time possible. Even if you insist, try to remember and count the people you mostly maintain communications with throughout the week. Narrow them down to the… Read more


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  • Cakes and what we do about them

    Cakes and what we do about them

    Why do you make an effort to make a cake (or buy if you don’t have the skill or time) on birthdays? I can’t totally answer for you, but it has become a symbol of celebration for me. And blowing a candle completes that birthday feeling. This is not about the origin of cakes and blowing… Read more


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