Becoming Someone New, Quietly
Bahay Kubo, kahit munti, ang halaman doon ay sari-sari
The sun was high, the heat pressing down on the dusty paths between rows of eggplants, and I felt both trapped and free all at once.
I didn’t love eggplants—not like corn, not like watermelon—but they were everywhere during April and May. The pods hung from their stems like tiny purple lanterns, gleaming in the sun, and I had chores to do: water them, check for pests, pluck the overripe ones.
But seven-year-old Rhalyn had a wandering heart. I got distracted easily.
Sometimes, I’d leave a row half-watered to sneak into the stream, feeling the cool water wash over my legs, listening to the gentle babble over rocks and the rustling of coconut leaves in the wind.
Other times, I’d wander to the sugarcane patch, pulling a stalk to gnaw on the sweet juice while my aunts shook their heads, pretending not to notice.
My eggplants didn’t mind. They grew anyway, quietly, without applause, without complaint.
I noticed subtle changes over days and weeks: a bud unfurling into a flower, a tiny fruit swelling under the leaves, the leaves curling just so in the afternoon sun.
It was slow, almost invisible—but if you paid attention, it was unmistakable.
Unlike the fast bursts of corn or the immediate sweetness of watermelon, eggplants taught me that growth doesn’t always scream for notice. Sometimes, it just happens.
Even when I got lost in play or daydreams, the eggplants persisted. That quiet, steady progress reminded me that becoming someone new isn’t always loud or obvious.
Sometimes it’s found in the moments when you let yourself explore, wander, and follow curiosity, even if it means leaving work unfinished.
The world grows you even when you’re busy chasing a butterfly or tasting sugarcane.
Change can be quiet, unnoticed, and gentle—but it is always happening, if you just pay attention to it.
Thank you for reading! I’m Rhalyn. I write about life, growth, and finding softness in the everyday.
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