Gratitude

I go through a unique kind of pain when I remember the passing of my loved ones, but the pain reminds me of the reasons I miss them so much. They loved me without pre-conditions. They believed so much in me, I had no choice but to rise up to their expectations and in the process, pleasantly surprise myself. They kept their eyes on me and their ears ever willing to listen, even when they obviously had their hands full. When I remember them, I realize there’s so much more to give to those in my care. For what I have been freely given can only grow, by sharing. 

I am sometimes unhappy at work. Yes, it is not always exciting. Sometimes, you have to be less self to stay sane. In those times, I think of my journey, the people that have shaped me and those I have shaped. It is really interesting that when one looks back on a career, it is the quality of our connections that matter, not performance indicators. I put a call through to a former associate in a distant land and the joy that call brings to him is contagious. Maybe what I do matters after all.

I get a reward for a completed task and just when I think, “Wow, I must be doing something right”, I get a call from a colleague that is uncommon in thought and surgical in execution, yet bewilderingly unrewarded.

I realize that there’s actually a lot of luck in my story, no less illustrated than in the gifts of my joyful wife, kind siblings, patient friends, loving parents and the chief developer of my compass - Mama (my maternal grandmother).

- Osasu Oviawe