Hannah Greah Mendoza Meneses
Dagupan City, Philippines
Every morning, I wake up, eat breakfast with my family, attend my classes, spend time with my
loved ones and go back to sleep with a lot less fear and uncertainty than I had before. I close
my eyes at night with the relief of knowing that today was a normal day and that tomorrow and
for the next days, it will also be normal. I sleep well and at peace.
It wasn’t always like this, I would wake up, eat with the thought that our groceries weren’t
going to last for long because at the time, we couldn’t go out. I would hug my loved ones as if it
was the last time I could touch them because no one knew what was going to happen the next
day and yet that didn’t scare me the most. What scared me the most was going to sleep at
night because I didn’t want to see tomorrow, I didn’t want to see the news of families barely
staying afloat, students dropping out, small businesses closing and people dying.
I used to think heroes are those who can fly or teleport or move buildings but now I know that
heroes aren’t just the ones you see on screen or read about in books, a real hero is someone
who risks today at the chance of a better tomorrow. The future is scary and full of uncertainty
but it is through your sacrifices and efforts that someone like me and a lot more others see a
better future. It is through your bravery and selflessness that I am not scared to see tomorrow,
for me, that is what makes a real hero.
So thank you, for choosing to help others every day, for choosing a chance at normalcy in all
this uncertainty. Thank you for everything you’ve done for children like me to not be scared of
tomorrow, it is because of you I am certain that we will start healing and things will get better.
Simple,sincere and beautiful.