We live in a fascinating and sometimes bewildering time. Cliché as it may sound, history repeats itself. People without knowledge of the past are said to be trees without roots. When it comes to the possibilities of ‘learning from history’, there are doubtless many things we could aspire to learn. There is no now or after without the before.

If we want to be prepared for the future, the best place to begin looking is our past. Through history, we can take a not-so-wild guess on what’s coming next. There may be differences among humanity’s attributes, yet our decisions and the path we forge are all patternedin the decisions made in the past. The chase for wisdom and meaning to existence is a living proof.

If we try to open our hearts and minds, we’ll realize that some of life’s most meaningful teachings come from those who have gone before us. It is crucial that we see the mistakes and downfalls of something in the past in order to make something succeed through time.

The world is actually a tree – the growing, breathing plant above the ground is exactly the future version of the seed we have planted in the past.

By: Ms. Mhileth C. Filoteo | Teacher II | Bataan National High School | Balanga, Bataan