Itsy Bitsy Spider 🕷️

 Itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout. 

Down came the rain and washed the spider out. 

Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain. 

So the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again. 

 

Trystyn and I were singing  when he suddenly blurted,. "Mom, do you think the spider was able to get to the top? Well, I think so,  because he kept climbing even when he fell so many times." 

 

 Little did Trystyn know that his words would give me a deeper meaning to this catchy rhyme. He made me realize that just like the story of the Itsy Bitsy, our life shouldn’t be defined by the rain, the setbacks and failures we encounter but by our resilience to keep climbing despite them.

 

It sparked memories of my journey towards a dream – the dream of becoming a lawyer. You see, I come from a family of lawyers. My dad is a lawyer, who by the way ranked 27 in his Bar exam, my uncles are lawyers, my cousins are lawyers. And being a person who always excelled her whole life, I was expected to be a lawyer…on my first try. 

 

But on May 3 2015, I was faced with a storm…I failed the Bar Exams. I could not believe it! I broke the Espina tradition of acing the Bar! I felt the weight of expectations and the shame of not living up to them. I locked myself away, cried my heart out and ate all the food I can grab on to! I felt like my whole world ended.

 

But after a week of sulking, I decided that failing the Bar does not  make me a failure but giving up on the dream is only the sure way to fail. So instead of wallowing in self-pity and drowning my sorrows in a sea of snacks, I decided to not let failure define me.  I decided to try again. 

 

So I  packed my bags and flew to Manila. I looked back and I realized I was a complete mess.  I crammed everything I could read. I was too eager and in a rush that I forgot to listen to what my body needed. I ate to my heart’s content, oh you should have seen me that time, I was soo fat! I hardly went out of the house, forgot to rest, I even forgot about my bestfriend: RedHorse Beer , and I ended up always crying due to overwhelming stress. 

 

So I tried again…but did things differently the second time around. I filtered what I read, had my rest days, I rekindled my relationship with Red Horse Beer, one sip at a time. I let my husband visit every month,  for some sexy, oh I mean some quality time and breather.  I jogged for my mental and physical health, oh you should have seen me that time, I was so sexy! Well I still like to think I am sexy now. And although it was still so difficult, I believe I was less stressed and anxious that time. 

 

On May 2016, I got the news… I finally passed the bar exam and with high grades at that! 

 

Failing the 1st time does not make me any less of a lawyer. In fact, failing the first time and fighting my way back to get the dream speaks more of me than that failure. I was like the spider, I refused to be crushed by adversity and persisted when the rain poured down.

 

Friends, fellow toastmasters, life’s challenges, failures, obstacles, are our own personal rains. But just like the Itsy Bitsy Spider, we must find the strength to rise above the storms. Just as the Itsy Bitsy Spider didn't let the rain define its destiny, neither should we let setbacks and failures define ours. 

 

Each time we stumble, let us be resilient in the face of adversity, persistent when the rains pour down, and determined to climb our waterspouts even when the waters threaten to wash us away. Remember that it is not our failures or setbacks that define us, rather,  our determination after every stumble  to stand up is what truly defines who we are, for it is in our resilience that our most inspiring stories unfold.

 

Let us be like the Itsy Bitsy Spider in the face of challenges – resolute, relentless, and ready to rise once more. 

 

Friends, remember when you are faced with the torrential rains of life, be like the itsy bitsy spider and climb up the spout again.