Seeing the Light and Shade

Life can sometimes be black and white--opposite but also strikes a balance of things.

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Hello Hive friends! This is my first post to the @asean.hive community and also my entry to the "Black & White Photography" Community Challenge # 78. I have a lot of photos to share but I have chosen photos that reflect some of my thoughts. With this, I hope to continue improving myself as I continue to grow in this creative platform.

In this blog, I wish to share some photos of: "black and white moments" in my life, photos of what I wish to keep forever, and photos of what I look forward to in the future--no matter how black and white things may become.

_{Here's a photo of a dreamer (and an overthinker.) 😂}

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When I read about this photo challenge, I was actually excited to share some photos in black and white. I mean, whenever I see photos devoid of other colors, I often become more focused on the deeper meanings shown in the photos. I love seeing photos in colors. But I noticed that when they're in black and white, you start looking into details and looking into meanings reflected within. Might I say, there is a sense of drama when photos are in black and white? Hmmm...🤔

Black and White Moments
There are feelings about things in life that are, like black and white, opposite. And I guess this is quite normal for most people. Let me share to you moments in my life when I felt the "black and white" of life.

Motherhood is a colorful experience but in its sense of black and white, there are times when I had opposing thoughts and feelings. The experiences of being a mother were way beyond what I have imagined back when I was still childless and unmarried. It is quite overwhelming and at some point, my emotional self often comes out running here and there. I know I am going through something tough yet there were a lot of times that being a mom is filled with really warm and fuzzy feelings. 💜

_{One of my toughest yet my most rewarding experience is being a mother. 💜}

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Teaching is often black and white for me. I love how emotionally rewarding it can be but recently, there are a lot of challenges in teaching growing teens. I always get a different experience everyday in the classroom and it's been more of a whirlpool of thoughts and feelings. Dealing with the kind of students today makes me think of leaving my post and looking for a more rewarding job. Still, I remain steadfast to my profession (and vocation) of helping young minds grow. I still stayed but thoughts linger on. 😏

_{Took this photo during modular classes and this reminds me of how much love and effort we put into our work despite the struggles. 👏}

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Eternally
Life sometimes gives you some form of drama to get your wheels turning. It is in these moments that you realize the most important parts of your life.

Family, including myself, will always matter the most. Though it is embedded in the Filipino culture that family is important, not all family situations are similar. No family is ever perfect but at this point in my life, I have come into terms with the imperfections. Maybe it is also because of my age and my experiences that made me realize how important it is to stay in tune (most of the time) with family members. Now that I, too, have my own family, the lessons I have learned growing up are of great use. I am currently working on myself as I face the challenges of my own family and I think, being able to love myself more each day is a very important thing.😘

_{The VVIPs of my life are my family and I.😊😘}

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Having genuine and lasting connections with friends is something that also keeps me going in life. As years go by, we know which ones are worth keeping. I realized some precious friends don't really need to talk to you everyday or to know everything about what's going on in your life. They only need to stay real friends whether you meet up or not.👐
_{Friends since college and friends at my former and present work have given me reasons to be grateful for this life. 😙}

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Onwards
Sunny and rainy days will always be there, like a cycle. They're part of life. Some days are good; other days aren't that great. But what I look forward to is a always a bright day ahead of me in spite of storms coming my way.In the future, life may give me a balance of black and white. Honestly, I hope and pray that life will be black and white plus all the colors of the spectrum. 😊🙏

Specifically, I look forward to:

👉 our own home to rise here soon 🏡🙏

_{Something we call ours. 😘}

👉 my small business to thrive again 👝

_{I used to sell almonds, chia seeds, and other healthy nuts. I hope I'll be back to business soon.😊}

👉 my baking skills to continue improving 👩‍🍳

_{The first cake I was able to decorate...I made this cake for my Mama's birthday many years ago. 🍰}

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Whatever color, whatever shade, life is meant to be painted with joy, passion, and the continuous belief that everything will work out well. 😊

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Thank you very much Hive friends for reading! Let's all have wonderful days ahead of us!😘

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Note: All photos are taken personally using my phone. Canva was used for the collages and the photos were edited using my phone editor adjusting the following: saturation, definition, exposure, and brilliance.

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