Baby ARMY Diaries: How It All Started

A few months ago, I never imagined I'd be calling myself a baby ARMY.

This journey actually started because of my mom.

She's a BTS fan in heaven. 💜

I still remember us watching BTS videos together, and I can clearly hear her saying, "Panoorin mo 'to. Grabe sila kagaling mag-dance." She was always so amazed by their performances.

So when the opportunity came to watch the BTS Arirang Tour in Singapore, my husband and I decided to watch it on her behalf. It felt like our way of carrying a piece of her with us.

We were incredibly lucky to secure tickets via Klook. 

As someone who doesn't like attending a concert without knowing the artists, I started what I jokingly called my "BTS appreciation deep dive." I wanted to know their songs, learn their personalities, understand their story, and discover what made millions of people around the world love these seven men.

I honestly thought I was just preparing for a concert.

Instead, I found myself genuinely enjoying the journey and somewhere between the music, the Run BTS episodes, the dance practices, and the endless laughs, I found something I didn't realize I needed. 

I found joy. 

Not the kind that erases grief, but the kind that quietly exists alongside it.

And somewhere along the way... I became a baby ARMY.

Over the next few days (or weeks), I'd love to share this unexpected journey - the little things I've learned, the moments that made me laugh, and the reasons these seven men have brought light into a season of grief.

If you've been ARMY for years, I hope you'll enjoy seeing Bangtan through the eyes of someone who's just beginning. And if you've ever been curious about BTS but didn't know where to start, maybe my journey will inspire you to press play on that first video.

Looking back now, I think my mom knew exactly what she was doing every time she said,

"Panoorin mo 'to." 💜

Before You Gossip About Someone, Read A Wrinkle in Time

We all know someone who loves a good piece of gossip. Sometimes it starts as harmless curiosity. Other times, it's a quick judgment about someone we barely know. We tell ourselves, "It's just conversation." But words have a way of traveling farther than we expect and they often leave wounds we never see.

That's one of the many reasons I think more people should read A Wrinkle in Time.

At first glance, Madeleine L'Engle's classic seems like a children's science fiction novel filled with mysterious planets, extraordinary beings, and adventures across space and time. But beneath the fantastical story lies a timeless lesson about kindness, acceptance, and the damage caused by fear and judgment.

One of the book's strongest messages is that being different is not something to be ashamed of. Meg Murry isn't the picture of the "perfect" child. She's awkward, insecure, struggles in school, and often feels like she doesn't belong. She's misunderstood by classmates and even by adults who are quick to judge her without taking the time to understand her.

How often do we do the same in real life?

It's surprisingly easy to form opinions based on rumors or first impressions. We hear one side of a story, repeat it, and suddenly someone else's reputation becomes entertainment. Gossip thrives because it's easier to talk about people than to talk to them.

But A Wrinkle in Time quietly reminds us that every person is fighting battles we cannot see.

The novel also explores the dangers of conformity and discrimination. In the story, there's an unsettling pressure for everyone to think alike, act alike, and fit neatly into society's expectations. Anyone who doesn't fit the mold is viewed with suspicion or treated as less worthy.

That idea feels remarkably relevant today.

Whether it's someone's appearance, personality, beliefs, background, or life choices, people are often judged simply for being different. Gossip becomes another tool that isolates rather than connects. It creates invisible walls between people instead of building understanding.

What makes the novel so enduring is that it offers a better alternative.

Again and again, the story shows that kindness is stronger than cruelty, love is stronger than fear, and understanding is stronger than judgment. The characters succeed not because they are perfect, but because they choose compassion over condemnation.

Imagine how different our communities, workplaces, schools, and even our families would be if we paused before repeating a rumor.

Imagine asking, "Is it true?"

"Is it necessary?"

"Is it kind?"

Those simple questions could stop countless hurtful conversations before they begin.

Perhaps that's why A Wrinkle in Time continues to resonate with readers decades after it was first published. It's not just a story about traveling across the universe. It's about becoming better human beings here on Earth.

So before passing along the latest gossip or making assumptions about someone you've never really taken the time to know, pick up A Wrinkle in Time instead.

You might discover that the greatest adventure isn't through space and time.

It's learning to choose empathy over judgment, kindness over gossip, and love over fear.