Hello, thank you for putting your trust on me to answer this, so let me get straight to the point.

How exactly did you measure their best? I mean, someone's full capacity in different aspects are subjective. Improvements and progress are hard, sure, especially when we are talking about financial and economical circumstances, but a person who doesn't treat those struggles as their "best" will get past it. They're not hopeless, not really, just delayed due to some uncontrollable instances that you can't really blame them for.

Expectations are subjective as well. Have you tried assessing them if yours were realistic? Because love is supposed to compromise, just not to the extent of shrinking and reshaping your autonomy to fit in their life. This applies both to you and to the person at the receiving end of those expectations. You shouldn't lower the bar for someone who does not want to extend an extra arm to reach it, and they shouldn't stretch themselves to the brink of thinning just to meet you. I don't know exactly why this question have been plaguing your mind for quite some time now, but that reason is already a statement. You asking this and considering that option is already an answer.

Questioning what you deserve is just as valid as assessing if they also deserve being questioned. Staying in a situation where this question had already been planted is not fair for the both of you. Again, it is not your fault that they were just not right to fit into your puzzle, and it's not your responsibility to chip out parts of yourself just to cater them. Same goes with how they shouldn't carry excess parts that no longer belong to their autonomy just to fill you in. You are not too much, nor they are lesser. Your upbringings are not just really aligned and that's completely okay. It is not selfish for you to choose yourself and give them that same mercy.

Now, if you were to ask me what decision is right, leaving or staying? I would say that they are both right in their own ways. Conventionally, staying and enduring for that love of yours is more romantic, more pleasing to hear. Leaving however, will somehow make people and somewhat yourself too, scrutinize you. But do not think that leaving is easier. Nothing is when you're choosing between sacrificing something. There's resolve and relief in leaving, babe. Please remember that.

I am not suggesting you to leave, tho, love is never enough to actually hold onto something you are having second thoughts with. If the situation does not feel genuine anymore, take it upon yourself to free both of you from it.

I have a hunch that you are torn apart if you will do the right thing or not, but please know that there is no wrong decision in this depending on what you truly feel. It's just a matter of seeing what's more right for you and for them.

Hello, berry!! Apologies for the late response, but of course, I would love to! I think I'll just drop some author recommendations since IDK what genre you guys really enjoy, but if you want the classice ones, I recommend everything by Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, and Ernest Hemingway, particularly his book For Whom The Bell Tolls. I've also read a book by Gavin Extence and poem pieces by Ricaredo Demetillo.

I have multiple unread books here since I've just scavenged them from various bookstores, so I cannot really say if maganda sila hahahaha. Maybe I'll share some excerpts here and there once I've gotten around them.

Kung wala naman kayong means to access physical or digital books and they sort of bore you, you can take tumblr and AO3 as alternatives hahahahaha. Book worthy rin ang fics don, I swear. You just really have to dive deep.

Andddd since we're already talking about books, please take your time reading filipino pieces too! Di kayo magsisisi promise. Works of Ms. Lualhati Bautista and Bob Ong are on top!!

Hello, babe! Thank you for reading and loving my works. My writing style is based on my own concept of not wanting to waste words or take too long getting to the point, while maintaining the secrecy of what I'm saying, yk? Sana gets huhu. I'm always afraid of being seen and perceived kasi, bec people misunderstand me most of the time. I'd like to keep my words concise and precise and focus more on the symbolisms I could integrate. There's no definite meaning naman kasi talaga in poetry. People are free to interpret it the way they feel. As for the vocabulary. I just love reading lang talaga. I pretty much read everything and ever since I was in elementary, I was a campus journalist, so I write a lot too. I compete a lot. Dati rin when I was in high school, I keep this notebook full of unfamiliar words that fascinates me hahahaha I write them and their meanings. Unfortunately, nabasa sya so I have to throw it away. Iyon lang naman. I suggest you read more creative and reflective essays and books. You'll adopt its eloquence overtime 😊