Can we just stop for a while?đ
Thatâs exactly what happened last Wednesday.
It had been one of those weeksâyou know the kind. Submission after submission, deadlines stacked and everyoneâs silently counting down to the weekend. We were exhausted. Mentally. Emotionally. Even physically.
So when someoneâhonestly, I donât even remember whoâsaid, âTambay tayo sa parking?â
We all nodded like it was the most brilliant idea in the world. And honestly? It kind of was.
By 6:00 PM, we were clocked out, bags slung over shoulders, and dragging our tired feet down to the parking area behind the office. It wasnât a fancy place, just concrete, a few parked cars, and a view of the evening sky that slowly changed its colors. But for us, that corner became our mini escape.
Ysa, Maying, and Joyceâmy girlsâwere already there, setting things up. And by âsetupâ I mean folding chairs, a mini speaker, and a spread of chichirya and drinks that could make any sari-sari store proud. It wasnât glamorous. It wasnât even planned. But it felt perfect.
The air was light but filled with laughter. Someone played musicâjust the right kind, the kind that makes you want to sway your head or close your eyes and just feel. There were no filters, no fake smiles. Just real people, finally letting go of the weekâs weight.
Ysa started the convo with a story so funny I nearly choked on my drink. Maying had us laughing till our stomachs hurt with her dramatic reenactment of avoiding our supervisor during peak submission hours. And Joyce, ever the calm one, brought it all together with her soft but meaningful reminders: âGuys, this is what we need. We forget to breathe sometimes.â
She was right. We really do forget.
Somewhere between the first sip and the last bite of junk food, I felt a bit dizzy. Not in a bad way, just that light, floaty feeling where the world slows down and youâre aware of the moment youâre in. I was a bit hilo, sure, but I was okay. Grounded. Because I was with people I trusted.
We sat behind the cars, laughing in the shadows, letting the music wrap around us. And the night? It wrapped around us, too. The sky turned a deep blue, and the breeze kissed our faces, like even the wind wanted to join our little break from the world.
And you know what hit me?
Thisâthisâis life. Not the long meetings or endless to-do lists. Not the rush to be productive every second. Life is in the pause. In the messy, snack-filled, slightly dizzy conversations you have with people who make the days easier just by being there.
No one was trying to be cool. No one was trying to outshine the other. We were just usâraw, funny, tired, but joyful in a way thatâs hard to describe.
We stayed there longer than we planned. Because time, when itâs spent right, moves in its own way.
By the time we stood up, packed everything, and hugged each other goodbye, I felt different. Still tired, yes. But lighter. Like I had just emptied all the noise in my head and filled it with real connection.
So hereâs to parking lots turned into therapy spots. Foldable chairs that hold our weight, not just physically, but emotionally. To snacks that bring us comfort, and to friends who bring us peace.
Hereâs to the simple things. The small things. The things that donât look like much on the outside, but mean everything once youâre in them.
Until the next Park ân Shot. đ»đŹđ