From Surviving to Thriving: 16 on 16th

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

Lead: Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
Response: And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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I just learned about an 80+ year old man named Oscar who is sick and needs prayers.

Early this morning, I woke up also thinking about my dad and how old exactly he died.

With counting fingers I re-learned he was 82 in 2015. He was born 1932.

Oscar on the other hand was born 1945.

The tail end of World War 2.

I met Oscar in my final interview for a job as a teller with Bank of the Philippine Islands.

He asked me why I did not mention in the interview process that my dad was with BPI before and they had a special accommodations for children of employees.

Dad worked a total of 25+ years with the company.

Through various mergers and acquisitions.

I replied that I wanted to find out if I could make it without the help of that benefit.

I saw him twice later on in my almost 4 year stint with the bank.

I represented our branch in the CBA or collective bargaining agreement rounds.

It was in Davao Apo View Hotel.

He commended me for the diplomacy I employed in asking for our concerns.

The other representatives started to send me their concerns so I could voice them during the negotiations.

Tact and gentleness almost always trumps entitlement.

Give me ! Give me! Now!

Something I should remind myself again and again.

I dont know if you guys noted in my previous blog that I was at a fork in the road recently.