NU Lipa Freedom Wall
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I’m speaking up not for attention, but for understanding.
Yes, I admit that I am one of the students who had many absences before and I’m not even denying that. But what hurts is how quickly people judge without even trying to understand why. Not every absence is about being lazy or irresponsible nor means we don’t care about our future. Some of us were dealing with things we couldn’t even explain properly and just see "absent nanaman". You will never understand the blood thats dripping from someone wrist, days when someone was already breaking, but still trying to survive quietly.
And what hurts even more is when the people who are supposed to GUIDE US, PROTECT US, and UNDERSTAND US are the same ones who judge and talk about us. An adviser is someone we’re supposed to trust. But instead, you chose to talk about me to others, to use my situation as an example and to let know to others. For what reason? So you have something to say? So others won’t end up like me?
Where is the confidentiality in that, miss? Where is the empathy? Because instead of feeling supported, I felt exposed. Instead of being understood, I felt judged. And that kind of treatment doesn’t even help nd it only makes everything heavier. Wow, Best adviser ever.
What you don’t even realize is that some of us were already struggling before we even stepped into that classroom. And instead of making it a safe place, you made it feel like another space where we had to hide, stay silent, and pretend we’re okay just to avoid being talked about. And now that I’m trying, really trying to show up, to attend, to fix what I can, it still feels like it’s not enough when I heard those. Like no matter what I do, I’m still seen as the same person from my worst days. Like my effort now doesn’t matter because maybe you’ve already decided who I am.
Healing is not visible all the time. Just because you didn’t see my struggle doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. And just because I’m trying quietly doesn’t mean it’s not hard. Really heavy to realize that sometimes, the most painful part isn’t the struggle itself, it’s realizing that the people you hoped would understand you are the same ones who made you feel more alone.
I’m not sharing this for pity. I’m sharing this because before you judge someone, before you talk about them, before you assume, u should remember that you don’t know what they’re going through. And its funny beacuse ya'll knew abt that alr.
Some of us were just trying to survive. And instead of being helped, we were misunderstood.