It started with a question.
"Class," our PERDEV teacher said,
“How do you see yourself… in the mirror?”
And just like that,
a wave of silence filled the room.
Some looked away,
some laughed it off,
but me?
I thought about the mirror I avoid
on most days.
The one that reflects my face
but never shows the full picture.
Because when I look in the mirror,
I don’t just see me —
I see expectations.
I see the pressure to be better,
to look stronger,
to always seem okay
even when I’m falling apart inside.
I see tired eyes
from sleepless nights over grades,
over overthinking,
over feeling like I’m too much,
and yet never enough.
But I also see something else.
I see a version of me that’s trying.
Someone who still shows up,
even when the world doesn’t notice.
Someone who still dreams,
even when doubt screams louder than hope.
That mirror doesn’t show my kindness,
my silent victories,
the way I help others when I can’t even help myself.
So when Ma’am/Sir asked us,
“What do you see?”
I wanted to say this:
"I see someone in progress.
Not perfect.
Not fully healed.
Not fearless.
But honest.
And that honesty —
that raw, messy, real reflection —
is what makes me human."
Because in this world full of filters,
grades, roles, and masks—
maybe the best thing I can be
is me.
And if the mirror still shows someone unsure,
someone scared,
someone learning—
That’s okay.
Even that person is worth looking at with love.
