"More than a stunning debut. It is the announcement of a bold new literary voice"
—Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Taaaaam! nagkaputot ka lang. hehehe i really miss you little brother, we really miss youuu, mama, papa and kuya. We just never thought that it came in that way. I really blamed myself on what happened to you, i just thought that of all people, why you and not me, though you have more dreams than mine, more determination than mine, you’re even more intelligent than mine, you are even happier that you’ve been living in the world than I am. You’re even more handsome than I am, you’re stronger than I am and you’re the happy pill of the family. I just miss the time we’re together, bonding, “dogsing”, teasing, that “kuya diyan” you call me, i really miss every little thing, that laugh, that smile and yet why? maybe God needed handsome angels and that’s you at least that’s what our mama said.

Tam, i’m still going home in Midsayap, and when i do, i’ll go in the cemetery immediately, i know you’re very “putig itlog”, scared in the dark. it’s your fault that you let yourself die, now you see you can”t eat your favorite foods. just kidding. and i’m sorry, i know you really want ... Read more

Hello! It’s almost two years since you were united with God. How are you? What it feels like to be in heaven? I know that’s the happiest and most peaceful place away from problems, desolation, and frustrations. I’m so delighted that you are now at perfect peace.

I penned this because I wanna talk to you through this letter. I miss you so much. I wish you were here with me in my most trying times. I have a lot of bitter-sweet stories to tell you, lolo.

There are numerous black holes flourished in my mind the moment I entered college life. I’m expecting this to happen, it feels like you are carrying a colossal baggage every day at your back. The galaxy-like color of the universe is disrupted with darkness. It’s slowly fading until completely gone. I’m relentlessly trying to execute my best in my studies every time we had quiz, assignments, recitations, and projects however, it sounds like my best wasn’t enough to grasp the remarks I want to achieve. I’m so broken. My academic performance is not anymore justifiable. I don’t know what’s happening. Sometimes, I get mad with myself for not reaching what was supposed to be passing. ... Read more

Hello! It’s almost two years since you were united with God. How are you? What it feels like to be in heaven? I know that’s the happiest and most peaceful place away from problems, desolations, and frustrations. I’m so delighted that you are now at perfect peace.

I penned this because I wanna talk to you through this letter. I miss you so much. I wish you are here with me in my most trying times. I have a lot of bitter-sweet stories to tell you, lolo.

There are numerous black holes flourished in my mind the moment I entered college life. I expecting this to happen, it feels like you are carrying a colossal baggage every day at your back. The galaxy-like color of the universe is disrupted with darkness. It’s slowly fading until completely gone. I’m relentlessly trying to execute my best in my studies every time we had quiz, assignments, recitations, and projects however, it sounds like my best wasn’t enough to grasp the remarks I want to achieve. I’m so broken. My academic performance is not anymore justifiable. I don’t know ... Read more

You left me 1 year ago today. You took your life without thinking once about me. You always talked about how we were going to grow old together and have children. How do you think I feel? I miss you right now. Even though it was a whole year ago. I can’t stand the feeling of not having you here. I hate you so much for leaving me here… but yet I still love you so much. Please, please be able to at least feel and understand my words. I will never forget you… I can’t. Your beautiful blue eyes, your dark black hair, your amazing personality. You always seemed happy. Every day you would cheer someone up and little did I know that you weren’t happy. You could have gotten help. You didn’t have to jump. I love you so much Kai. My precious book that told me to come and write this letter. The book you left me with your suicide in it. The book that makes me cry every time I read it. The book you fingertips touched a year ago. I have re-read it a hundred times baby. I miss you, I miss you, ... Read more

Hello there! I hope somehow this reaches you, wherever you are. I just kinda wanted to say thank you for being you. I don’t know if this makes any sense, but it is so refreshing to look back in time and listen to a sound as free and creative as yours, and your bands of course. As a performer myself, I have always struggled with being able to let go and not be afraid or overly concerned about being looked at as weird or incorrect. Yes, I know I have this irrational fear of being an incorrect person, and it is so stupid now that I look at it written down. But it is just the truth and I can’t invalidate my emotions and feeling, now where would that leave me ya know? Ok, in short, I really appreciate you for kinda showing me that people naturally gravitate toward those who put themselves out there. I hope that one day i can be as creatively free as you were and really leave my mark in the performance world, seeing as I just want to make people out there fall in love with art or music because it has been so ... Read more

Dayana, te amo incondicionalmente. Tu partida me ha dejado quebrada de mil maneras, aún no logro entender como y por qué, siempre había querido escribir una carta así y mandarla al cielo, pero no me había animado hasta ahora que termine de leer “Cartas de amor a los muertos”. Es un estupendo libro, me sentí identificada con cada capitulo debido a que yo se lo que se siente perder una hermana. Te extraño, y te necesito tanto. El epilogo me quebró, me quiebro cada vez queme pongo a pensar en aquel día en el que te perdí. Perdona me si no fui la mejor hermana del mundo, perdona me si te decepcione, perdona me si te hacia enojar, por cada grito y cada desprecio que te hice. Perdona me por fallarte. Deseo con todo mi corazón volver a verte, se que no puedo traerte a la vida, espero algún día poder volver a venos. Teníamos toda nuestra vida soñada planeada, teníamos tantos planes, teníamos que crecer juntas. Tu siempre serás la mejor hermana del universo entero, gracias por haber aparecido en mi vida. Te amo por siempre.

Hello there! Happy new year, its 2019, its been like 19 or 20 years since you passed away? I don’t even know you as I never got to met you. It’s okay though, you left with a good impression and you left amazing life stories that my father got to tell me. I am so sorry of what happened last year with your grave and everything, I felt sorry that my aunties and uncles behaved that way, but I am kinda trying to be open-minded, perhaps they were really really busy with their work right? However, my family and I brought your wife, my grandmother to the Zoo before 2018 ends, on the last 2 days of 2018! She was so happy, it made me happy. She even talked about how you always got free tickets to the Zoo because of your company and you always bring the whole entire family to the Zoo. She told me it was like a tradition to always go there every year, but it stopped when you died. I could tell that my grandmother felt very happy that day. I will try to persuade my family to bring her out often okay? Even though ... Read more

Hi I know that you are supposed to write to a human butI wanted to write to you because I miss you. You were my first and only dog and although I may not have shown it at times I loved you with all of my heart. When you left I didn’t know how to fell and I was sad. even though we might be getting a new dog I want youto know that I will always and forever love you.

six+ years now. nothing about it feels real. i’m starting therapy because of it. i just i go through waves of missing you i guess. i’ve gotten a lot stronger now though. lennon is so so so amazing. i just can’t believe he looks so much like you. you would be so proud of us. i’m thinking about pursuing forensic science after high school. i’m so mad at the world for not letting you be here for my 16th birthday, or my first homecoming, or letting you meet my first real boyfriend (who ended up being a dick anyways). i’ve been missing you a lot recently and it just doesn’t seem right sitting in my room talking to myself, but this helps. i love you a lot, dad.

You’re not dead, I know, but this is a love letter so I figured I’d share. You’re not my first boyfriend, but you are my first healthy one. You’re constantly telling me “I’m not like them.” and I know you’re not, they just still hurt me. I can’t talk about what they did, no one would give a damn and my already insane mother would never let me out of her sight ever again. I think that’s why I’m still haunted by them. I’m the type of person who needs to tell people what is wrong, but most people see me as a complainer. I’m trying so hard to let them go but part of them is still buried somewhere in me. Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for taking it one step at a time with me. Ever since we’ve been dating I’ve had a new outlook on life. People used to tell me that the world will slowly gain it’s color again, and they’re right. There’s not danger at every turn anymore. It’s liberating to see life everywhere. You really do bring out the best in me. You make me so happy it’s almost alarming. It ... Read more