The Suit

Before I left my former company, Ate Kae gave me a parting gift: her beautiful two-piece beige suit. Tucked inside was a note—simple, but deeply meaningful. She told me to wear it when I achieve my dreams.

She shared that she had once reserved it for a special occasion of her own, but chose to pass it on instead. Perhaps she saw how determined I was to keep growing, to keep going. Or maybe she believed I could give that suit the stage it had long been waiting for.

Over time, I’ve worn the pieces separately, on a few occasions. But never together—until recently. Somehow, it never felt like the right moment. Like Ate Kae, I, too, wanted to save it for something significant: a milestone, a ceremony, a recognition that quietly says, "you’ve made it."

But life doesn’t always unfold in clear milestones. More often, I’ve found myself in between—closing chapters, stepping into new ones, constantly in motion.

These days though, I find myself dressed less in structured pieces and more in movement—sportswear, dancewear, heck even swimwear—answering the sound of the music or the call of the sea, testing not just my strength, but my ability to stay in flow in every sense of the word.

Because the truth is, many of us—especially women—are holding multiple roles all at once. Daughter. Lifelong learner. Caregiver. Entrepreneur. Leader. Each role drops into our lives like coins into a piggy bank, quietly shaping how we measure our worth.

Then there’s the other side of the coin: friend, woman, lover, partner, wife, mother, matriarch. Identities we carry, nurture, and sometimes struggle to balance.

And just when we begin to find our footing, life intervenes. People come and go. Health shifts. Hearts break. Systems change. Crises unfold. Loss arrives unannounced. Even death reminds us—nothing is guaranteed.

Life is fleeting. The roles we hold so tightly today may one day fall away just as quickly as they came.

So I wonder: will there come a time when I no longer wear a suit like this? When it no longer fits—not just my body, but the life I’ve chosen? After all, our bodies change. Our paths evolve. What once symbolized arrival may later feel like something we’ve outgrown.

And maybe that’s the point.

Fulfillment isn’t always found in waiting for the “right” moment. Sometimes, it lives in choosing—again and again—the paths that resonate most deeply with who we are now, and having the courage and commitment to see them through.

Whatever future we shape, may it bring us happiness, peace, and purpose. May it leave the world gentler than we found it.

So wear the suit. Re-imagine how it should look. Or begin again.

But whatever you do—let yourself shine.

Challenge the status quo. Break the barriers placed before you.

Bet on yourself.

Our nature as women—both tender and powerful—is not something to diminish or give away. It is ours to claim, to honor, and to carry forward.

And that, in itself, is more than enough.

#March #InternationalWomenMonth #EndofSTA #LessonstoLive