The mister was hired from the Philippines 20 years ago this year to work for a company based in Maryland. We also came to the US in the summer of that same year.
The man who interviewed him in Cebu, Philippines, and hired him died last weekend. He is a significant figure and reason why we are here in America.
I remember that I would get uneasy on the many company occasions that we were seated in one table. You see, I don't know about their company. Well, I kind of know, but not really. I am in an industry that is totally different from theirs. Therefore, I can not join conversations if the topic is about work.
I remember vividly that one exact moment many years ago, he assured the people around the table that the company wasn't affected by the current job cuts and losses of many companies in America that year, and that the company still was doing great.
I also can not forget that one time he was telling a story about one of his visits in Cebu, Philippines. While doing his morning run near Cebu Plaza Hotel, an askal (a street dog) chased him.
I remember, one time, Fe and I just came from the ladies' room, and I even remembered what I wore that time when we bumped into him by the open bar. She is the wife of Leo, a Filipino who has been in the company for a long time, and who's the reason that a lot of Filipinos were hired from the Philippines in the 90s. He is also a dear friend of the boss. Fe asked the boss with a blue silk necktie if he knew me. I lightly elbowed her. I found her question so awkward for me and for him too.
He answered Fe,
"Of course! She's Jay's wife!"
* big deep sigh! That was such a relief. Her intention was to introduce me to the big boss, but by his answer, there was no need for that.
Really? How? There are hundreds of his employees, and add the wives to that too. This was really a surprise because that event probably was the first few times I went with the mister to company gatherings.
Yesterday was his memorial service. I am thankful that I was able to get a ride with a friend who has worked for the company many years ago. He cancelled all his morning meetings to be able to attend the gathering. Although not an owner of a company, but I guess it is good to be the boss. Hehehehe.
The previous night, I got an inquiry for an item to be shipped ASAP first thing in the morning of Friday to New York via Fed-Ex for a magazine cover photo shoot. The customer was a famous photographer who've worked with some of my favorite renowned photographers. Sadly, I had to turn down the order because I couldn't meet his requirement. I have some rush orders but we're all ready for pick up by the mailman by noon the following day. I couldn't squeeze in his order because I have to drive to purchase shipping and drop it off at his required shipping carrier. His one major requirement was to ship the item to a shipping carrier that my shop does not offer. I couldn't be late at the agreed time for my friend to pick me up. I guess, I can also say it is also good to be the boss. Hehehehe.
There will be more orders and sales in the future, but I couldn't miss the chance to be at the mister's big boss' one and only memorial service. I am in no way directly connected to the company, but for me, one shouldn't find excuses not to be there, and one must find all the reasons to be there. He has done so much to many of us. He is indeed a great loss to a big company he built in 1968 from the ground up of 200 employees, in 10 offices that are located in 3 different countries. That was what I learned from the memorial service shared by his son yesterday.
That is indeed laudable!
To Jerrold Van Winter, I sincerely thank you for the chance, the opportunity, and the trust you gave to many of your employees especially to the immigrants, for your generosity, your great leadership, and your kindness. It is not only your employees that have benefited from your goodness, but the families of your employees as well. Coming to America was a piece of cake compared to what many immigrants have to go through. We were able to build our homes, live comfortably, and achieve dreams here, and that also includes the dreams and endless opportunities of our children. Your generosity, leadership, and faith in people is your legacy, and we are forever grateful to you, Sir Jerry.
Rest in peace.
Showing posts with label cpi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cpi. Show all posts
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Thursday, November 3, 2016
RIP Alan
A dear friend of ours has been in and out of the hospital for awhile. On Monday, the mister sent me a message via Viber that Alan is in the ICU and in very serious condition. He also said that he'd get out of work early so we can visit him.
Alan is one of the people that I look forward to seeing and hanging out with during company events. He's a colleague of the mister. He is also a very dear friend of my close friends from Cebu. In these office events, when Fe or Leo sees me or Jay, they'd always ask, "Yan, naa na si Alan?" (Yan, is Alan already here?) or "Kita ka ni Alan?" (Did you see Alan?). That is also the case when Alan sees Jay and me, he'd look for Leo and his wife, Fe.
Also in these events, we sit together around in one table during meal time. It's Leo and Fe, Jay and I, and Alan. Sometimes some of their officemates would join too. Because Alan is considered Mr. Congeniality in the office, he sometimes couldn't join us, but he always leaves dessert and coffee so he could be with our table.
Monday. I sent a text message to two of my friends, Lea and Fe, for updates. I learned, that visitors weren't allowed yet. By Tuesday, Lea told me to visit Alan because his condition had worsened. She couldn't come due to her work. By the way, Lea is my 24-hour-hotline friend. If our friendship is a country, she's considered a national treasure.
"Please, Yani. Tell Alan I love him.", she told me on the phone while we were both crying. She's the only one who calls me Yani, and I call her Miss Lei. Leo, Fe, Lea and Alan have been friends since the 80s, or maybe earlier.
When we came into Alan's room, I said hi. He turned his head towards Jay and I. He couldn't talk anymore because of the tube in his mouth. I held his arm for the last time. There were many times in the past that he wouldn't let me hug him due to his treatments. He would just let me shake his hand and sometimes not even at all.
I also told him twice Lea's message for him. He tried to opened his eyes every time we talked to him even if his eyes were yellow and so puffy already. I guess that was the effect when his kidney collapsed. The nurse said that they could give him eye drops but the side effect was he'd have blurred vision. He opted not to have the eye medicine because, according to the nurse, he wanted to see his visitors. We also thanked him for considering us his dear friends inspite of the many friends he has. That night, his recovery was very bleak. I told him that if he wanted to go, he can and we'd really miss him. He has been ready for that moment to be called back to where we all came from. He was vocal about it, but he fought his disease as long and as hard as he could.
Wednesday. When the mister arrived from work, he asked me if Lea had her last chance to visit Alan. It was decided that they'd end his life support that night. I called Lea for updates. The first ring, she picked up and told me right away that she was in the hospital already, "YANI, ARI NA MO NI JAY BI! SIGE NA! DALI MO!" (Yani, can you and Jay come here now! Please! Come over!). The boys had just finished dinner when she told us that. I only took 2 bites of my steamed bananas and drove as quick as we could to the hospital. Well, it seemed like we flew to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.
Last night at the visitors' lobby at the ICU, while waiting for the pastor for the prayer for the dying, Lea and Rhett (a colleague of Leo, Jay and Alan) met. Finally. They have a lot of common friends but never actually met except on Facebook when I introduced them to each other in April of 2010. They came from the same place in Cebu. Last night, Lea learned that Rhett's gardening teacher was her mother. Judy, Lea's niece was a Church co-choir member with Rhett before. Despite last night's circumstances, we met new friends and reconnected with the old ones.
At 10:55 pm, we bade farewell to Alan. Some of us came back to his room after his life support ended. I will really miss him. He was a joker, but if you didn't really know him, you'd get annoyed with his punch lines. That was Alan.
The last time he posted (a repost) on his Facebook account was on October 8 on his 57th birthday, it said, "When you are dead, you do not know that you are dead. All of the pain is felt by others. The same thing happens when you are stupid."
For the coming office events, I will just think that he moved to a different company so I don't have to look for him. The best kind where he doesn't need to get off of work because he must go constantly to his doctors or to the hospital. Before, I didn't go to these overnight events because my kids were still young. By the time when I could go with the mister, I told Alan that I felt scared and awkward because I didn't really know a lot of people there. He assured me that there is always Fe and him.
(photo taken on October 9, 2009 at Leo and Fe's house on his 50th birthday)
We meet a lot of people in life. It's a non-stop journey with ups and downs. Some are better to remain acquaintances, and some are totally cut-off from our lives. Some relationships are better like that. But definitely some of them become our friends, and friends like families. We are all just visitors here. Some must leave earlier, but they remain in our memories and in our hearts.
In a big world with billions and billions of people in it, it was an honor to have cross paths with you. I will miss you. We will all miss you.
Rest in peace, Alan Serohijos. October 8, 1959 - November 2, 2016
Alan is one of the people that I look forward to seeing and hanging out with during company events. He's a colleague of the mister. He is also a very dear friend of my close friends from Cebu. In these office events, when Fe or Leo sees me or Jay, they'd always ask, "Yan, naa na si Alan?" (Yan, is Alan already here?) or "Kita ka ni Alan?" (Did you see Alan?). That is also the case when Alan sees Jay and me, he'd look for Leo and his wife, Fe.
Also in these events, we sit together around in one table during meal time. It's Leo and Fe, Jay and I, and Alan. Sometimes some of their officemates would join too. Because Alan is considered Mr. Congeniality in the office, he sometimes couldn't join us, but he always leaves dessert and coffee so he could be with our table.
Monday. I sent a text message to two of my friends, Lea and Fe, for updates. I learned, that visitors weren't allowed yet. By Tuesday, Lea told me to visit Alan because his condition had worsened. She couldn't come due to her work. By the way, Lea is my 24-hour-hotline friend. If our friendship is a country, she's considered a national treasure.
"Please, Yani. Tell Alan I love him.", she told me on the phone while we were both crying. She's the only one who calls me Yani, and I call her Miss Lei. Leo, Fe, Lea and Alan have been friends since the 80s, or maybe earlier.
When we came into Alan's room, I said hi. He turned his head towards Jay and I. He couldn't talk anymore because of the tube in his mouth. I held his arm for the last time. There were many times in the past that he wouldn't let me hug him due to his treatments. He would just let me shake his hand and sometimes not even at all.
I also told him twice Lea's message for him. He tried to opened his eyes every time we talked to him even if his eyes were yellow and so puffy already. I guess that was the effect when his kidney collapsed. The nurse said that they could give him eye drops but the side effect was he'd have blurred vision. He opted not to have the eye medicine because, according to the nurse, he wanted to see his visitors. We also thanked him for considering us his dear friends inspite of the many friends he has. That night, his recovery was very bleak. I told him that if he wanted to go, he can and we'd really miss him. He has been ready for that moment to be called back to where we all came from. He was vocal about it, but he fought his disease as long and as hard as he could.
Wednesday. When the mister arrived from work, he asked me if Lea had her last chance to visit Alan. It was decided that they'd end his life support that night. I called Lea for updates. The first ring, she picked up and told me right away that she was in the hospital already, "YANI, ARI NA MO NI JAY BI! SIGE NA! DALI MO!" (Yani, can you and Jay come here now! Please! Come over!). The boys had just finished dinner when she told us that. I only took 2 bites of my steamed bananas and drove as quick as we could to the hospital. Well, it seemed like we flew to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.
Last night at the visitors' lobby at the ICU, while waiting for the pastor for the prayer for the dying, Lea and Rhett (a colleague of Leo, Jay and Alan) met. Finally. They have a lot of common friends but never actually met except on Facebook when I introduced them to each other in April of 2010. They came from the same place in Cebu. Last night, Lea learned that Rhett's gardening teacher was her mother. Judy, Lea's niece was a Church co-choir member with Rhett before. Despite last night's circumstances, we met new friends and reconnected with the old ones.
At 10:55 pm, we bade farewell to Alan. Some of us came back to his room after his life support ended. I will really miss him. He was a joker, but if you didn't really know him, you'd get annoyed with his punch lines. That was Alan.
The last time he posted (a repost) on his Facebook account was on October 8 on his 57th birthday, it said, "When you are dead, you do not know that you are dead. All of the pain is felt by others. The same thing happens when you are stupid."
For the coming office events, I will just think that he moved to a different company so I don't have to look for him. The best kind where he doesn't need to get off of work because he must go constantly to his doctors or to the hospital. Before, I didn't go to these overnight events because my kids were still young. By the time when I could go with the mister, I told Alan that I felt scared and awkward because I didn't really know a lot of people there. He assured me that there is always Fe and him.
(photo taken on October 9, 2009 at Leo and Fe's house on his 50th birthday)
We meet a lot of people in life. It's a non-stop journey with ups and downs. Some are better to remain acquaintances, and some are totally cut-off from our lives. Some relationships are better like that. But definitely some of them become our friends, and friends like families. We are all just visitors here. Some must leave earlier, but they remain in our memories and in our hearts.
In a big world with billions and billions of people in it, it was an honor to have cross paths with you. I will miss you. We will all miss you.
Rest in peace, Alan Serohijos. October 8, 1959 - November 2, 2016