ASEAN Hive Community Challenge #172 🤔 Memory Lane: Two Decades of Change With Family, Home, and Village ☺️❤️

Hello everyone!

Hope all are safe and well! ☺️❤️🙏

It’s been a long time since I last joined a challenge in ASEANHive. So right now, I have an entry for this week’s challenge ASEAN Hive Community Challenge #172 🤔 Memory Lane.

I decided not to go far with my entry. Instead, I will share something close to my heart. It's about my family, my sister, my nieces, our home, and our village.

Looking back at two decades of memories, I’ve seen how time has changed my nieces, my sister, our home, and even our whole village. This is not just my story, but the story of family, growth, and the many changes life brings.

During my late teenage years, my elder sister gave birth to her first baby girl, my very first niece. Honestly, our life has been like a teledrama or a movie. But I won’t go into family details here. Instead, I will share how quickly time passed and the changes it has brought all these years.

I was 19 years old and still in college when my first niece, Leelove, was born. Then, when I was 22, my sister had her second baby girl. That became my third niece, Ashley, because my second niece was the daughter of my brother. Both of my sister’s daughters lived and grew up at home. I am a living witness to how they grew and changed, together with everything around us.

Actually, I was not at home 24/7 because, when I was 21, I started working in Cebu. I only went home during special occasions or whenever I really wanted to. Every time I came home, my nieces were so excited and happy to see me because they knew I always had something for them. Even when they were toddlers, they already looked forward to my visits. They especially loved the dried mangoes I brought from Cebu. I always gave them one pack to share. But since Leelove was the eldest, she held the pack and gave Ashley only a little. And guess what? Sometimes she even licked or bit the dried mango first before handing it over to Ashley! 😁🤭 They often quarreled because Leelove wanted more and only shared a little.

As they grew, they were really like Tom & Jerry. 😁 But when they were younger, they were also so sweet. They always wanted to be with me. I always gave them hugs and kisses, and they gave me hugs and kisses back. ❤️

They were so cute! ☺️❤️

They even go with me whenever I jogged. They were so excited to wake up early in the morning and go jogging with me. I took a picture of them when we rested at the bridge whenever we felt tired. That time, they didn’t look like Tom & Jerry at all.

I still remember that time when Leelove cut Ashley’s bangs. She gave Ashley very short bangs when they were alone in front of the mirror with no one around. That's why in the picture Ashley had very short bangs. 😁

When we were done jogging and were already in front of our house, I had another picture with Ashley by the road. You can see that the road was still under construction. It took many years before the road was completely concreted.

When we got home, we also went to the seashore. I have a picture of Ashley sitting by the sea, which was just at the back of our house. You can see that the shore was still so wide back then. That was our playground.

I still have picture of us at the seashore, having fun and playing. ❤️

When my nieces were little, my sister was too thin. I was actually bigger than her back then, probably because of the stress of raising two little kids. ☺️

As time passed, my sister recovered and became healthier. I even have photo of us at the seashore, but this time with a seawall already in the background. Soil erosion had affected our village, so the seawall was built to protect those living by the shore. Eventually, my sister even became bigger than me.

Every year I went home for Christmas. My sister looked healthier overtime, the kids were growing fast, and our house was slowly improving. But we still used the same Christmas tree. And here our house, the hollow blocks are still visible.

Every Christmas, I always had gifts for them, mostly clothes so they could wear matching outfits. We were complete at home because my elder brother also came home with his daughters, my other nieces. I have pictures of my four nieces wearing the clothes I gave them as gifts. You can even notice in the background the improvement of our house from exposed hollow blocks to a more finished look. ❤️

When Leelove and Ashley started going to school, they became even more like Tom & Jerry, always quarreling. But they were still sweet. I still remember one day when I went home, they had a banner message for me that welcomes me home. ☺️❤️

Of course, I treated them whenever I had the chance.❤️

Until I reached 30 years old, Leelove and Ashley were still sweet to me. They always hugged and kissed me every time I went home. Our house also started changing little by little as they grew.

And now, my nieces are already teenagers. Soon, Leelove will not even be a teen anymore. Ashley just had her moving up ceremony for Senior High, while Leelove is already in college. My sister is now stressed with their tuition fees. 😁 You will noticed the background, our house had painted walls already.

As for me, I am turning 40 years old next year, still single, and still have no child. My sister and I are now healthier, both of us having gained weight. 🤭

I keep trusting God’s perfect timing. If I am destined to become a wife and a mother someday, I would be glad in God’s perfect time I will also have my own family. 🙏

Our home and our village have also changed so much. Now our house has painted walls and still needs more improvement. At the seashore, it’s not just the seawall anymore. Many mangroves have been planted by the officials and the people.

Because of this, we don’t have a wide playground anymore. The seashore is muddy now, but the good thing is there are more fish. People don’t need to go far to catch fish. Even my family can catch plenty with just a net, without needing a boat. Here are some of their freshly catch fish at home.

Now, the road in our village is completely done. I even have a picture of me dancing with our elected Mayor on the road in front of our house.

Those are the changes that happened in our village with a lot of improvements, in our home that still not yet finished, with my sister who overcome a lot in her motherhood era, and with my nieces as they are growing up. As for me, I’m still the same, just 39 now, not yet married, and still waiting for God’s plan. While writing this, a lot of memories flashed back, the happy ones, the sad ones, from Leyte to Cebu, back to Leyte, and now to Manila. I can say I’ve experienced a lot and I was able to cope, and still coping until now. 🙏

As I look back on these two decades, I can’t help but feel both nostalgic and proud of how much has changed for my family, our home, and even our village. Every challenge, every improvement, and every memory became part of who we are today. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but it has been blessed in so many ways. I carry with me the lessons of the past, the growth of the present, and the hope for what’s yet to come. Truly, everything happens in God’s perfect time, and for that, I am grateful. ❤️🙏

Have a Blessed Saturday everyone! 😀😀😀💖💖💖

Thank You Lord for the blessings and love!

Be grateful in every little/simple things and you’ll find happiness you ever wanted! 😀😀😀

Everyday is worth to be grateful of!

Praying for the safety and wellness of all.

Heal Our Land Oh God!

Lovelots,
@shikika