Missing Piece: Way to be Whole

Nothing is more heart-breaking than a broken soul who longs for something that can fill the missing piece in her heart.

Being a parent is hard but having no one to guide you as you grow up is tougher. They are the light that leads their children on choosing a path to take, but Racquel Antaran has to continue her journey even though her own light have dimmed and left her.

Racquel, a 17 year old Grade 12 student has been acting the role of being a mother, a father, and an oldest sister to her siblings. With her cheerful smile, no one can suspect the sadness filling her eyes.

“I want a complete family, not for me, but for my younger siblings.” she said when recalling a memory where her mother and father are still in the same house. They might lack on lavish things, but the love that filled her childhood was overflowing that the memories would crush her inside. Those moments were locked down on the darkest memory of Racquel when her heart has been ripped apart many times by the same people who promised to cherish it.

She is the foundation of her family. Her siblings look up to her of taking care of them but also for being strong. Every time her innocent sibling asks about their parents whereabouts, all she wants to do is cry, but she knows crying would not convince them to go back. She chooses to wipe her tears, and give them smile. It might be breaking her inside but it would not crush the hope and dreams she is holding for the future.

Her friends became her escape zone during the tough times. The school became her home that offers her warmth and acceptance, something that she is longing for. She highlighted the importance of having true friends because they would be the one who will fight with you when the battle starts.

Despite of all the dark memories hunting her, and the problems lurking in her life, Racquel stayed as an amazing person that shares her light.

Racquel is one of the hundreds of people with a missing piece in their hearts. The pieces might never return or make us feel whole, but they taught us a bigger piece of advice in this life. It is to be strong and love without any condition even with a missing piece in our heart.