From Storms to Light

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Hi!

What happened in 2012 will remain there forever. My 2013 will start with an empty jar that I’ll fill with whatever comes my way this year—and yes, I’m looking forward to it.

Looking back at 2012, a lot happened. Really, a lot. I managed to fulfill half of my 2012 wishlist, Alhamdulillah. I never expected too much, so I’m grateful I made it that far.

2012 began when I was still jobless. My sister got engaged, and I knew I was going to “lose” someone close to me—but in truth, I never really did, hehe.

Then came the biggest surprise: I got accepted into university to continue my degree. It was the last thing I expected. Honestly, I didn’t believe it at first. Before registration, I kept thinking it couldn’t be real. But it was, and I went there—alone. Everything felt new: a new place, new people, a new me.

I must admit, I wasn’t myself during that time. The first half of 2012 was all about finding my footing—learning to adapt, meeting new people, trying to love a place I didn’t like, and dealing with the pain of losing someone in my family.

But hey, storms don’t last forever. There’s always a rainbow after the rain, and light eventually finds its way back. I gained so much that year: a niece, a nephew, a brother-in-law, and a sister-in-law. Family-wise, life felt perfect.

I met new people too—some wonderful, some not so much. I finally let go of a long-term feeling I’d held onto, and it felt amazing. I also had my convocation at last, which made the year even more memorable.

The second half of 2012 was mostly about family time, especially with my sisters. As for friends, a few of them stayed close, and that was enough. The thing that made me happiest, though, was meeting someone who, at first, was a stranger—but later became someone special.

We didn’t go through much together, but every moment we shared was precious. Maybe because I felt so comfortable with him. We just clicked—I could talk to him about anything. But not every story ends happily. I’m not sure where things went wrong, but we drifted apart. I pretended not to care, though deep inside, I missed us.

Still, 2012 gave me so many good memories. I travelled to Langkawi Island, Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands, Aquaria, and even had a sweet escape to Perak. Going to new places always teaches you something. You meet people who make you think about life—its good and bad moments—and somehow, you grow stronger and happier because of it.

I often feel like I’m all alone and that no one cares. But then I remember that Allah is always with me. Always. Sometimes I get too caught up in the world and forget what truly matters.

“Mungkin memang kadang kita dibiarkan Tuhan untuk berjalan sendirian,
hanya untuk meyakinkan bahwa Dia-lah satu-satunya yang tidak pernah meninggalkan kita.”

 

“Seiring masa, kamu akan memahami, bahawa terkabulnya semua harapan dan keinginan itu,
tidak akan sentiasa membuat kamu bahagia.
Tidak semua bahagia datang dengan terkabulnya impian,
kerana terkadang,
dari luka dan duka,
Tuhan menitipkannya.”