John

Sometimes God will do mysterious things in your life. He would almost always give you what you ask for, at the right place, at the right time. He can also take some things away, without us fully understanding as to why He would do it.

Today, I lost a very dear friend. The irony is that he was born on this same day and that God also decided to finally give him peace at this moment.

Though, he wasn't only a dear friend. He was also my team leader at work however he didn't treat me like a regular agent. He treated our team like his own children. Hence, we called him our 'Nanay' or Mother. He was gay and proud of it; we loved him for it.

He was unlike any Team Leader I've ever had. He never made us feel like we have to go to work. It was like just going to your second home. He made us laugh, cry and we felt loved and supported by him. He was a truly amazing person.

I am a person who's constantly suffering from low self-esteem; he pointed that out to me once but after that, he never, ever made me feel insecure about it. He was always supportive, and gentle. His concern and love does not only stay in the office, it extends even if me and my teammates are at home. He would constantly ask about our families and well-being. If we go through some problems in life, he would be there for us and would worry about us. He was always there to make us smile. He was very sweet. Those are the things that I will miss most about him.

I'm glad I was still able to visit him in the ICU before he passed on. I'm glad I was able to tell him constantly that we loved him and that we constantly prayed for him. Somewhere at the back of my mind, even if I didn't want to admit it, I knew he would be leaving us. But I didn't expect that he would be leaving us at the very tender age of 27. The news broke my heart. I have lost a lot of important people in my life and they're all relatives. This is the first time I've lost someone dear to me who's not of my blood.

Thank you, John, for supporting me. For the love, concern, and wonderful sense of humor you always shared, thank you. I cannot begin to explain how you've changed a part of me and I know it will never be the same without you. I will miss your constant text messages, your random emails telling me to keep smiling and to keep being positive. I will miss your singing and 'mini concerts' at the office. I will never forget how you've encouraged me to do things I didn't think would be possible for me to do. You have been the best Team Leader I knew and loved. I will keep the things you've taught me always.

I'm grateful that you are finally with God and that your long suffering has finally come to its end. It's hard to let you go, so much... but I know you are at a better place, in Heaven.

I dedicate this blog entry to you and your loving spirit.