The People I Am Yet to Love

To the people I am yet to love: Are you waiting for me too?

Lately I’ve been questioning how the future will unfold before my eyes. As I tried to get a grasp of how things are at my present, I realized that one of the things that have been consistent since time immemorial is how people continue to come and go.

There are people in the past whom I stopped loving at some point– willingly or not. There are people I presently love whom I may part ways with later on in life—by chance or by fate, and if love remains, I cannot know for sure. There are people I continue to love under whatever circumstances, and there are people I love so dearly in the present whom I want to share love for eternity with.

While the future is uncertain, for this I am sure: There are people I am yet to love.

To the people I am yet to love, you may be too close or too far right now. We may know each other too well or we may be perfect strangers. Some of you I may have met, some I probably haven’t yet.

We may have walked past each other more than we know, our eyes may have met once or countless times, and I may have heard your voice on a random place. We could have had a fleeting encounter in the past or we may be taking to each other casually in the present. You can be someone I have shared a few jokes with or someone whose face I always see on the streets. Your name may be something familiar that rings a bell or something I know too well.

Or…

You may be someone whose existence I am not yet aware of. You may be someone living life to the fullest— not expecting anything for the future, or someone who decided to close doors and never let anyone in. You could be someone happy and content right now who couldn’t ask for anything else. You may be living on the opposite side of the world and may be too oblivious of the fact that there’s a random weird girl writing this now.

Isn’t it exciting? That love is always possible between people.

Isn’t it amazing? That the future unfolds with such beautiful things.

Isn’t it fascinating? That there are people out there whom we are yet to love.

I feel thrilled and happy knowing that there are people out there I am yet to meet whom I will love dearly. There is also this anxiety brought by the thought of such love not being reciprocated or not lasting a lifetime, and the pain that comes with all these possibilities. But then, love is one of the most beautiful gifts in this world, one-sided or not, no matter how long-lasting or short-lived.

And for all of these, I want to make myself better. To continue to grow and be someone who can give love in the most beautiful ways. To fix myself so that love won’t go slipping through my cracks and I will pour them to the right people, on the right places, and for the right reasons. I want to grow into someone who can love these people on the ways they deserve. Someone they can be proud of and someone they will be grateful for coming across with in this lifetime.

To the people I am yet to love, the idea of sharing life with you someday brings me hope for the future. Knowing that every day I am closer to loving you inspires me to become a better person every step of the way. May we come across this beautiful gift of fate not a moment later or sooner than the right time.

Until then, do well and be well. And when our paths cross, let’s not walk past each other.

To the people I am yet to love, I am waiting for you and I am so excited to love you.

Sincerely, Juna

junamalaya (09.13.23)