Kwentong Kolehiyo

THIS IS HOW YOU BREAK UP

She gives you one last chance to endure her — walks you through her being and lets you to explore her for the final time. Remember how bad you wanted her? Remember how bad you wanted to be in her? Remember the time when she finally wanted you to? The first time you met her, you were clueless of what to do, where to go. She reminds you of the joys, the pains and the hopes you shared together, before giving you her last pieces of advice on how to live a life away from her. "God" you say. You haven't realized how much she grew in you — despite the undeniable fact of how much you grew being with her. She taught you a lot of things — literally. But most importantly, being with her taught you a lot about yourself. Life wasn't always peachy with her — it had its ups and downs — but it was great, and to some extent, magical.

Gone from reverie, you remember: you are actually breaking up. These past few days, the only thought you have is how you eagerly wanted to leave her, get through with her and move on. But now... now that you're actually breaking up, you question yourself how can you leave someone who gives you this much fireworks. You try to resist. You try to capture every moment. If only you can freeze time now. If only you can put her in a jar, take her away and keep her forever. The anxiety of separation kicks in. You don't want to leave her anymore.

But from the start, you knew, this isn't gonna be forever. The harder you resist, the more painful it gets. "This is how you leave me. This is how we break up,".

Surrounded by candlelight, you promise that no matter where you are, you take her best lessons with you. You promise that the next time you see her, you will be someone she can be proud of. You promise that even you're no longer together, everyone will know, you are hers.

You walk with her for the final time. You may cry, but you know she won't. She has been through a lot of break-ups like this before. All of those, painful. All of those, necessary.

Reaching the gates, she bids you goodbye. As you face the other way, you see me — you see us. Now you're one of us. Now you know what made us this way. Now you finally understand how great of a lover she has been all this time.

This is how you break up with your greatest love.

This is how you break up with the University of Santo Tomas.

— To the graduating class of 2015, at pati narin sa lahat ng mga sinugatan ng UST Baccalaureate Mass, para sa atin 'to.

Thomasian Outside The Gates

2012

Faculty of Arts and Letters