"Realize"

Dear strawberry,

What I know about loving before, is it involves the relationship of opposite sex, I thought it has to be like boyfriend/girlfriend, I thought only strangers out there are the ones we must find or encounter, Lastly, I never thought that loving could be familial; like an Aunt and Niece relationship.

I’m the aunt and I have a 7 year old niece named Lauren Desrae. She’s from Canada, daughter of my older cousin Ate Malou. They took the vacation here at the Philippines last summer. Lauren and I had a great bonding especially when we were in Dagupan. She shared her thoughts with me, asked me crazy things, asked a lot of questions, always curious of what was I doing, and so much more. But what I like about her is she is so smart, smart enough to know how to listen and how to respond correctly to what I’m saying. She’s so matured. I was like talking to a teenage girl like me. And the best thing about her is she’s so understanding and sweet.

Every night before Lauren and I go to sleep we always have that weird conversations, it’s like asking silly questions to each other then answering it with SARCASM. Hahahaha. This one is my favorite:

Me: Lauren, are you a Filipino or a Canadian? (I still asked her that question though I know what the true answer is)

Lauren: Canadian of course. I live in Canada Tita right?

Me: But your parents are Filipino, even your Grandparents.

Lauren: Okay I’m a citizen there. But tita I was born there right? So I’m a Canadian no matter what.

Me: whatever Lauren. But do you know that Filipinos are very intelligent people?

Lauren: yeah I noticed that.

Me: So are you a Filipino?

Lauren: still no Tita SpongeMauie. (I got the SpongeMauie from her)

Me: Ah. So that’s why you’re not intelligent. HAHAHAHA!

Lauren: What?! Okay, so now I’m a Filipino.

Me: hahahaha. I was just kidding. You know what kidding is?

Lauren: Yeah joking.

Me: Joking? Huh? No it’s not.

Lauren: then what is it?

Me: When you’re young and small you’re KIDDING, when you grow you’re GROWING but when you’re old like tita Arlene, you’re DYING.

Lauren&Me: ahahahahahahahaha

THE OTHER NIGHT

Lauren: Tita can I ask you a question?

Me: You’re already asking.

Lauren: Okay. So tita, why do we need trees?

Me: for breathing purposes?

Lauren: Why do you have to put your bras under your pillow last night?

Me: HEY! How did you?!? Curse you Lauren the platypus.

Lauren: HAHAHAHA Tita SpongeBoobs.

Me: Stop calling me names. You’re irritating me now Lauren. I’m serious.

Lauren: Oh? Is that so? AHAHAHAHAHA

Me: knock it off! Why don’t you go to sleep?

Lauren: There’s no law about sleeping time. So let’s talk some more before mom gets here. So tita Mauie, do you love me?

Me: No.

Lauren: Huh? Why?

Me: do I have to?

Lauren: DUH?Of course tita.

Me: Why?

Lauren: Because I love you tita.

Me: Lauren, I did not ask you to love me so please don’t make me feel that as if I have to love you back.

(Lauren gave me a sad face and then cried)

Me: Kidding  I love you Lauren.

Lauren: I love you too tita

That’s how crazy we are.

One time I was just staring at her, or just observing her the whole day. And as I look at her I noticed that, Yeah she’s really a child but with a mature and flexible way of thinking.

I learned and realized many things because of her. She was the one who made me realize that life isn’t that complicated you just have to look at it like a child do; to full-fill your emptiness, you just have to call your friends and go out there and play all day long without knowing what probably will happen the next day, That life is so easy when at you’re at your worst; just buy lollipop then everything will be just fine again. Lauren made me realize that life would be a lot easier if you do know how to fit in, she taught me to buy slurpee XD She said buying slurpee makes her feel really good. I don’t know why it seems to her that life is that simple .. .. then I realized, it is.

Yes, I’d love to be a sister or a bestfriend to her. I can do that. But the thing here is, there’s something I really cannot do for her, and that is to answer those bothering questions that, I, myself once asked those when I was her age. I never thought that those questions would still bother me. Like Lauren, I used to be so curious of everything. So it was a shocking thought that there is one little girl who’s close to me twho acts like me.

Last thing, I just wish that I could answer her questions, I wish that could respond to her curiosity, I wish I could interpret life to her, and I HOPE TITA SPONGEMAUIE could kill those things that bothers you a lot.

“Lauren, thanks for making me realize that childhood explains it all when it comes to handling out our LIVES”

Yours truly,

SpongeMauie

(UNFINISHED)