the "3" that is not "pass" but "caution"

They made the cut. The absolutely and certifiable mid-20something college students :)

Though it may seem it is an achievement, it is more of a cautionary sign. A sign that in order for you guys, and you know who you are, to make the cut, an olive branch must grow out of nowhere. And that every day must be Christmas :)

But these olive branches, I fear, and you know this, is getting scarcer as the time goes by. And you know, Christmas comes only once a year :)

Why and how come? It is because, you are getting older. And life is slowly taking you far more seriously than the previous years :)

You are now starting to join in carrying the burden your respective parents (or guardians, as the case maybe) have been carrying around for the longest time. A burden they lovingly carried because of you.

Every time they ask you "matatapos na ba?" or "gaano pa katagal?" is also asking and confirming to themselves "are you ready for life?"

They are slowly shifting some weight towards your shoulders and you are having a knee jerk reaction to this unsettling truth. Because as of the moment, and ever since, life has been fun. Life, as most seasoned human being know, has been shielded from you. And now, you are starting to see what is this life all about - beauty and responsibilities :)

You are now the next in line. Those who came before you, like me, hopefully, prepared you to carry the weight.

How will you respond to life's weight being shifted on to you right now?

Will you accept where you are and who you are, truly? Or will you deny and blame? Point fingers and never own up? Never grow up?

Life is starting to show it side that it can be a burden. A beast of a burden. A burden you have to carry day in and day out. Even if you do not want to :)

And how does it feel knowing that when it comes to life's challenges, you face them alone. Yes, your friends will be there but they can only go so far. And when life throws a challenge, you have to choose and those choices have results and consequences. And those choice, those results and those consequence defines us. They will show to the whole world and to ourselves, hopefully, who we truly are.

Will the answer be that we are brave? or a coward?

Will the answer be that we have honor? That we have self-respect? Or that we are spineless?

Will you stand up? Or hide and pray, or should I say, wish that an olive branch sprouts out of nowhere? That it must be Christmas?

Do you have it in you?

I am just worried that there will come a time, heaven forbid, when it will truly and really matter, you may, sadly and painfully, will not make the cut. And you won't be able to properly process what just happened.

Right now, it may seem that you got lucky. That you are the king :)

In reality and in the grander scheme of things, you may have actually deprived yourselves with knowing the answer to the question - can you truly do it on the sixth try? On the fourth try? The third try? The second? The first?

Can you really do it?

Do you have what it takes?

Are you ready for life?

I am not pulling you down nor am I trying to scare you. I am simply asking.

But everything happens for a reason. My mind is limited. Who am I compared to the Omniscient One? I am a molecule of a dust.

Kudos to you :)

"... why think like mere men?"