Getting into this book launch event, I already had a set of expectations for both the event itself and the book. Having read and promoted The Gratitude Journal’s predecessors in the Sari-Sari Stories series before, I expected a diverse collection of narratives, windows into lives shaped by unique experiences and writing styles. This new edition, The Gratitude Journal, not only met my expectations but also set a new bar for short stories that can be appreciated by anyone. The book launch event, held at Book Nook, The Podium, further proved this to be true.
Only going off the author descriptions and photos provided in the book, I had a vague first impression of the various writers whose works were featured in the collection. When I arrived at the venue, I remember looking around and thinking to myself: Who among this small group of attendees are the authors? Given their diversity, I thought that literally anyone in attendance could be one of them. When the event began, all the authors were called forth one by one, and from there, I finally got to see them. They were indeed diverse in age, gender, style, and background. There were mothers, dancers, fur-parents, suicide survivors, loving daughters, K-pop fans, and one whose family was amazing at cooking. I found this very refreshing—it gave me a good first impression and valuable insight into each of their stories.
Those first impressions I had about these authors and their respective stories ultimately led to their works making even more sense. For most of the authors in the panel, their short stories and essays were written with knowledge drawn from personal experience, wisdom, and insight.
The writer of “Ask Her First”, much like her protagonist, is both a mother and a dancer. Her experience with motherhood and dance allowed her to seamlessly weave the central theme of gratitude into a heartwarming narrative. Another, The Purple Pink Novelist, wrote “The Last Five Before the Counter”—a touching expression of love and gratitude toward her parents, to whom the story is dedicated. There was also the writer of “A Dish Called Home,” who wrote about gratitude expressed through the art and bond of cooking, inspired by his own experiences with family—especially his grandmother, who used to cook meals for him.
Another writer, Anjthology, used her experience as a suicide survivor to infuse her story with the stomach-turning, bittersweet moments that make her narrative resonate so deeply.
Beyond these, one story was an unfiltered truth—Lalaine Aquino’s “One Month and Eight Days.” Aquino revealed during the forum that her story was drawn directly from her journal entries.
Duke Dusk also provided a unique angle of storytelling. Not only did he name his story after his pet dog, Cha, but he also managed to capture the many different yet subtle ways someone can be grateful, regardless of whether they have a voice to express it.
On the other hand, Loela Cabilao’s story is not based on personal experience but instead on a completely fictional situation, one centered on the act of keeping someone alive through memory.
With all that said, whether born from experience, observation, or pure imagination, gratitude is seamlessly interwoven into every narrative in this newest Sari-Sari Stories collection. Gratitude is present in everything and everyone: in the comfort foods we eat, the people we meet, the ones we create, and even the animals we take care of.
There is always something to be appreciated in our everyday lives, from our highs to our lows, and that is, in itself, a Sari-Sari story.
by Leanne Ferrer