𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 | Between the Twists and Turning Points: From 2022, For 2023

To whatever awaits in 2023,

With the skies beaming in abounding colors of lights and sparks, the idea of a new beginning did not sound as unnecessarily dreamy as most initially anticipated. Recalling everything that happened, changed, and remained—did 2022 even give us anything?

There are more ways than one to bookmark what the past year gave us. While 2023 could not magically fix what 2022 had caused, perhaps, a quick look back will show us all the distance we have paved.

To the heartbreaks and losses that 2022 led, may 2023 be the chapter we find the love and healing we deserve. May it be the turning point for those who broke themselves in the process of building others. Relieve yourselves of the burden of stressing over that cheating ex or that intolerable past.

To the changes and battles 2022 brought into failure, may 2023 be the year we triumph over the times we had been led into toxicity. Let us find ourselves participating in more national and civic initiatives. There are social changes waiting to be urged; there are more ways to revolutionize better systems aside from the ballot.

To the hurdles and crossroads that 2022 pushed toward our directions, may 2023 be the year that will help us navigate better career, financial, and holistic decisions. Every bill and every debt we continue to face are successes worth tipping the hat for.

For the turns and twists that made no sense in 2022, may 2023 be the chapter for us to find clarity and answers. At some point, we find ourselves thinking we are the problem, but try to look again, and maybe you will realize—you may also be the solution to it all.

The past year was engulfed as the supposed year of the tiger, but as the new year tears off 2022 from the old calendar, maybe the year of the rabbit is bound to not only turn over a new leaf but also bring us towards a bountiful way of calmer waters and fresher perspectives.

Amid everything that has passed and those that managed to linger, loathe, and love 2022, it may make the most sense. May we remember the time we stuck to the bond, but still grow real by acknowledging the betrayal. May we remember the time we had hope, but remain critical about the time we learned about defeat.

If you're reading this, either you erase 2022 or bring every baggage it left behind—your chance to restart is always here, whether it's 2023 or any other year coming into the picture.

At last, the night resumed its phantom darkness. The new beginning felt like any other night that had embraced us before. For all it's worth, 2022 has left us something worth remembering and, yes, worth learning from.

With hope to spare,

Fragments of 2022

Graphics: Hanna May Manalo