Your reaction shapes your reality

Yesterday marked one of the most special events in my brother's life: his wedding day. I was thrilled to help organize the event, as it's one of my favorite things to do. However, living 8,000 miles away in a different country made the experience bittersweet. While I was excited, I also felt lonely. This was the first time I was away from my family since marrying my foreign husband.

Despite the distance, I helped with the wedding preparations. They promised to go live and do a virtual call for me. At the last minute, one of the caterers, the Lechon provider, contacted me—it hadn't been paid yet. I kept calling and messaging to resolve the issue with the owner. I started feeling frustrated because it was so hard to handle virtually. Thankfully, after explaining the situation, the owner understood and waited until the ceremony was over. I was so excited because at least I could feel like I was part of the event. I had already spoken to everyone about doing a live or virtual call, and they agreed. But as things happened, everyone got busy, and no one was answering the calls and chats. I didn’t take my sleeping pill that night because they wanted me to watch the event online. But it never happened. I was so upset and felt so hurt, forgotten, and left behind.

I was awake until 4 AM, just crying. I was really hurt, and it was so sad. Mom tried to call me, but I declined because I couldn't stop my tears, and I didn't want them to know yet that I was hurt. We are very close, and it's my first time living in another part of the world, with a different culture and everything. It's been hard and requires a lot of adjustment. So, this morning when I woke up, I had swollen eyes, a headache, and a runny nose from too much crying and a sleepless night.

Thinking about yesterday's events makes me feel like crying again. I was emotional and didn't know how to approach them. So, I talked to God and asked Him to enlighten me. Whenever I feel troubled or in doubt, I always turn to Him. I asked Him, "Am I too sensitive and emotional? Do I make things complicated?" and so on. Then, I decided to listen to Godly instrumental music while replaying everything that happened—the way I reacted and how I handled it.

While talking to God, I realized that my feelings are valid, and I have my reasons. But they also have their reasons for what happened. I kept telling myself, "Why can't they do this when I did the same for them?" But God made me realize that I can't expect them to do things the same way I do because we're different. This is who I am—they never asked me to do these things, but I still do them because I want to, and I love doing it. I came to realize that no matter what, we can't make others do the things we do for them.

I learned that when you're caught up in your emotions, it's best not to make decisions right away. It's important to calm your mind, because we tend to hurt people, especially our loved ones, when we let our emotions take control. I realized that sometimes, the situation itself isn't the problem—it's how we react to it. We need to learn to listen not only to our side of the story but also to theirs. I came to understand that it's not always about "YOU," but also about "THEM.

For others, this problem might seem small, but we should remember that our feelings are valid, no matter the size of the situation. Even the smallest experiences we encounter every day can teach us huge lessons.