Pantaleon, Alfred Jan S.

BK2: #GRATEFULTAMARAW
Pleasantness in this somewhat cruel world goes a long way because we tend to overlook
these kinds of things. The problem, depending on how you look at it, is that we strive for more
than what we have. We crave for those things that we believe would make us be satisfied; may
it be possessions, career we aspire, vices, and an overall lifestyle that we aspire for to make us
feel whole as a person. After we’ve managed to obtain those things, then we can be grateful of
what we have because we didn’t have those before. Unknowingly, there are small matters that
we had all along, the things, people, and relationships that are with us the whole time to be
grateful for. Even before we had those things, we had them. Although there is nothing wrong
with aspiring for more, we also need to remember those that really matter to us in the first
place. One thing I solely remember and was engraved in my mind is the fact that I used to take
my family here in Mindoro for granted because I wanted to become closer with my Mom and
Dad who lives in Laguna. All those vacations, I made sure that I get to be with my parents and
siblings without the knowledge of how my family here in Mindoro (the ones who raised me
from when I was a 3-month old baby) misses me when I request them to let me go there during
Christmas vacations, summer vacations, and even just semester breaks; just to meet my family
there who doesn’t totally want me to go to. I have nothing against my “true” family there in
Laguna, I just deeply regret those moments that I missed when I chose to go there when I have
all the reasons to be grateful for what I have here in Mindoro.
Career-wise, I have my goals that I aspire to have regardless of who I am with along the
way, although I would never forget about my family here in Mindoro, I still think it is better for
me to make my own step towards the life I’d like to have; the life I think I deserve. I am still
grateful for them, even though there are moments that they weren’t present which happens
rarely, I never focus on those things because they are my real family. I just want to have the
right balance of paying attention to small things that really matter, just like Sheldon Yellen’s
way of being grateful for his employees. Adapting to that same notion, I wouldn’t want to miss
those small details and be grateful for those. I may not totally agree with the actual gesture he
made because there are a lot of other ways of being grateful which are practical and beneficial
for his employees, but I can adapt the same essence that to me, will be both beneficial for my
family and relationships in life that matter. As a nurse, there is no doubt that I would be moving
places fast to look for more opportunities that breeds different opportunities to experience
new things, to move places, to gain more money and the likes of it. However, along the way, I
will build more relationships with my co-workers that are to treasure forever but still, I have to
move past that because of my goals. Just as long as I won’t forget about them, I think all of us
should be fine in aspiring more than what we have.