Leader Anne Mayette V. Boese
Reflection # 3
What is your passion (What is it that you love doing? How is it reflected in your work, daily life, and life's journey).
The AVP that I presented last Friday showed a glimpse of my passion in life. It was a quick view of the things I love the most. My reflection paper will explain, in detail, why I am passionate about my family, education, children, nature and adventure, traveling and helping others.
I am passionate about my family
My family taught me to live a simple life. Contentment is the key to living simple. We have to be thankful every day for what life gives us. Growing up, we had a very small house, but the love inside was huge. My parents started from scratch, we moved from one apartment to another. I never had a problem with this because every apartment that we moved to, mom and dad brought love in our luggage. In all the stories I've shared, my dad was revered by people around him. He naturally radiated love to everyone around him - and people returned the love. There was no bad seed in him. Man by nature is a rational being; therefore he is a thinking man. We must understand first the reason for his actions before we start judging.
My youngest brother married very young, and he did not finish high school. My brother is sweet and Maasikaso, but he doesn't have a goal in life. He depended on us for many things. When I worked abroad I was sending him allowance. I was in the Caribbean when he became a father. I was the happiest Aunt because I love children. He gave me the honor to name the 3 children: Yya, Yko and Yian.
I was inspired to work harder for the 3 children. I knew before that my brother had a gambling problem, but I didn't realize how bad it actually was. He owed several people money and he was addicted to "Sabong". He did not use the money we were sending them as intended - for the children. Our concerned neighbor, who had a store, told my mom that my sister-in-law was begging for milk for the children. I was very angry and I cried when I found out that my niece/nephews were not being properly fed. I booked a flight home the following month to check their living condition. To my surprise, it was all true. His wife was not getting his salary because it was going to the interest of his 5-6 loan. He could not afford to pay the principal because his salary was just enough to pay the monthly interest rate. Even the money that was intended to fix our house was also used in the Gambling. That is when I decided to give him tough love. God truly knows how to plan our lives, and my husband to be that time wanted to be based in the Philippines. This is probably God's way for me to be closer to my brother and his family. On the first few months that I was home in the Philippines, we were fighting all the time. He promised to change but he owed money to a lot of people. Electric bills and water bills were overdue. And he was basically dependent on us for everything.
My mom and I decided I would need to be very strict with their spending and budgeting. I was managing their monthly allowance and he no longer had control of the money my mom was sending them. He was very angry with what I was doing - I cried secretly but I had to show him tough love. There are times we do not speak with each other, to make him feel that I am serious with pushing him to be better. My husband built the 3 kids a big blackboard so that I can tutor them. I was deeply involved in raising the 3 kids. My husband and I guided their daily hygiene, reading, drawing, writing, singing, behavior and conduct. I am thankful that my husband supported me despite my attention being divided between him and the 3 kids. He never complained that our expenses doubled, our house was always messy, our sleeps was disturbed. My husband supported me all the way in raising the 3 kids. Although they were naturally good kids, I knew that there was a lot of work needed to mold them to be better. The following school year, their performance at school improved. In addition, they now do house chores and they are excited with our performance practices. They surprise my family with their 'sing-and-dance' performances. Everyone thought they were my children and I say they are, maybe not literally but in my heart they are. My husband and I are their second parents and that will never change. When they are not in the house, I feel empty and I feel sad. And although it is tiring when they are around, I don't mind because they bring us so much happiness. My husband thought of a cute and fun way to teach them to save money. We allow them to deposit their money with us, we issue them a statement, and we inform them that on the last day of the month they will earn 10% interest on their savings. If they wanted to buy some goodies at 'S&R' they can withdraw their money. It is amazing how excited they are to put money in their account and ask every day to check their mini-statement. Yya is now 9 years old and she does dishes for her brothers, while Yko, 7, is tasked to fill the water jars and the youngest Yian, 6, arranges the table during meal time. When they wake up they have to fix their beds.
My brother saw how much we love his children and this is probably one of the reasons he was slowly changing. I prayed that one day my brother will be enlightened and I was seeing miracles in his actions. Slowly he was concentrating on his work, he improved on his habits, and I believe that he will continue to improve in God's time. The last time I spoke to him, these were my strong words: "Mom is not getting any younger, and she deserves to retire soon. But if you do not fix your life, she cannot retire, she will always think about you. Let us help mom." Our family is not perfect but we must work together to surpass challenges. My sister-in-law had the opportunity to work to Dubai and I lent her money for this. My sister-in-law has to work abroad so that they can help raise their kids. She is scheduled to leave next month and the children will permanently stay with us. Although there will be more challenges ahead, I will do my best to help them. And I was also able to give a little peace of mind to my mom because she knows I will be raising the 3 kids. My husband and I still plan on having our own baby in the future. Probably when my schooling is almost finished.
I am passionate about more Knowledge.
I am passionate about acquiring more knowledge; that learning is a continuous process. I am always curious about the things around me and what else I can learn. It started with my dad's habit towards education. He tried to learn a new word every day. I am amazed at how patient and consistent he was with teaching himself a new word. My dad was a walking dictionary, you could ask him about any word - he knew every difficult word. My dad loved to play the crossword puzzle on Manila Bulletin. If he read a new word, he immediately grabbed his dictionary and searched its meaning. He would then use that word and write a sentence. My dad told me that one of the secret of understanding jargon words was to read the complete sentence first then try to analyze the sentence. What the sentence saying or describing will give you the clue to the meaning of the word. School homework for us continued even during summer breaks, my dad gave us daily assignments to write five sentences a day. People came to him for help on their research papers, speeches, and assignments. He freely gave his talent and he never rejected anyone except us his children. His reason: "I will not do your assignments, I will not help you with your research, because it took me a lot of effort and hard work to learn. If I did your homework, you will not learn. You will be dependent." My dad never helped me with my assignments; he guided me to learn on my own. You need to find out about it yourself. He was right; if he did our homework I would not have been this passionate about knowledge. Whether attending seminars, training - count me in. On my first job, every time my boss received invitations for training, I was always the first to volunteer on his behalf. I even volunteered to participate in the training for other departments. For instance, at Marriott, after work I volunteered for supplemental training and I never missed an opportunity to attend work training. At Kuwait Airport, I initiated with my coworker to request for additional training on our airline system. While working as Public Relations, I enrolled in Office management and became the valedictorian. Taking MBA is a dream come true. I vowed to my Dad and to myself, that I would continue my craving for knowledge. I strongly believe that educated people contribute more to the society. Besides my current MBA, I am also active in reading a lot of useful articles and information in the internet. Khan Academy is a suggested website for free learning with international standard. Knowledge is Power and my future plan is to teach and empower others.
I am passionate about Children
When I was a kid I was called Mayette in the neighborhood, my second name. Being bullied as a kid made me very passionate about children; I was alienated and I was made to feel that I was not good enough to be part of their group. I stood up, I fought, I learned to not push people, not to judge people, and not to alienate. I did the opposite and I opened my hearts to people. I opened my heart to children. I love being surrounded by children. The innocence and pure heart of the kids inspires me all the time. Even when I am in a bad mood, I just automatically become happy when I see a child. You would often see me talking to strangers and their kids. I can't really explain why I have a deep love for children, I just love them. I always welcome invitations to decorate and host children's parties. My friends and relatives would always depend on me when we have reunions or get together. I can easily connect and play with children. I am natural with children.
After I was able to overcome bullying at probably 10 years old, I started to bring little kids to our home. My mom would always be shocked to see our fridge empty, as I had fed the kids in the neighborhood. I wanted more kids to feel accepted and loved. I was teaching the kids in our neighborhood to play and be kind to each other. The parents of the children in my neighborhood called me 'Ma'am Mayette'. Even until now whenever they see me, they would tell their kids that I was their 'Ma'am Mayette'.
I am passionate about Traveling, Nature and Adventure
Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I wanted to see the world and its beauty. I took up travel management so I would be able to travel a lot. I am a fan of the show Amazing Race because they showcase the culture, nature and beauty of countries around the world.
When I lost my father and got stuck in a destructive relationship, I lost my interest. But as I have mentioned in my other stories, God has given me the opportunity to fulfill my dream to travel and explore the world. By getting the apprentice program of Marriott international, I was able to see the beauty of Caribbean (St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Maarten and Barbados). Then working in the airline, I was able to get a 90% discount for destinations serviced by the Airline. I was able to go to Dubai and Abudhabi. G God then blessed me with a husband that loves adventure and traveling. We first went to Bangkok and Phuket to see their beautiful beaches. On our second adventure I entice him to go around the Philippines (Cebu, Bohol, Boracay, Subic, Baguio and Pangasinan). On our 3rd trip we went to see the ruins of Siem Reap in Cambodia. On our honeymoon, we explored Chiang Mai, Thailand and road 30 different zip-lines in one day. We also did the night safari and most of their animals came from Africa. I am so blessed to have visited these beautiful places, and thankful that I had the chance to see other cultures. Some of my bucket list includes going on Safari in Africa and seeing the Eiffel Tower.
Summary
Finally, allow me to share the poem I wrote and posted several years ago at Poetry.com
"Beauty"
Beauty is seen
By an Eye so keen
Watching the sunrise and sunset
A beauty I could not forget
Beauty is heard
By the finest Ears
People laughing, People Crying
What beauty does it brings to our hearts?
Beauty is felt
By people with awareness
Awareness that God has given all of us beauty to appreciate
True beauty is from within the depths of our hearts.
The poem that I wrote speaks loudly of all my passions. I am fascinated with the beauty of nature, life and the beauty of people. I am not talking about the superficial beauty that fades through time, but the beauty that lingers in our hearts.
God has given the beauty of nature to appreciate. Our environment is a gift and we must protect and preserve it. We should not spoil what God has given us. We have to take care of our environment, so that our future generations can appreciate the beauty of nature. The world is our home and we must take care of it. Mother Nature heeds children to take care of her. The calmness of the ocean relaxes my mind. The flow of the river focuses my mind. The waterfalls are music to my ears. The smell of the trees is soothing. The birds chirping and flying speaks of freedom. And my favorite view to catch is the sunrise and sunset – a beauty I could not forget. One of the main reasons I love travelling is to discover new places and unseen nature. That there is limitless nature everywhere to explore.
The second part of my poem is "Beauty is heard by the finest ears". I am talking about "The call of others". When you are able to help someone improve their life, the sound of their happiness lingers in our hearts. When we hear someone is hurting and suffering, what do we do? We are gifted with ears, not only to hear the sound, but to listen deeply for the calls of our brothers and sisters. The happiness I bring to children and the people around me is PRICELESS.
The last and equally important part of my poem is self-awareness. Beauty is felt by people with awareness. We should never allow others define our worth and abilities. We are all created equal. We have a value in this world. The media may show us a different definition of beauty - but I personally believe that the true beauty of a person is in the kindness of her actions, and her compassionate nature. Others may judge you based on their perspective, but only God can truly know what is in your heart.
When I was young, I was bullied and others made me feel I was not worthy enough to be part of their group. I was like a shadow following their commands. But God is amazing because he opened my mind and heart to not allow mistreatment of other people. After that day, I never allowed anyone to push me over and I vowed to be a "Beacon for Others". The experience made me self-conscious of how I looked, spoke and treated other people. True beauty is treating others with love and respect. True beauty is in the beauty of the heart.
In everything I do, I offer it all to Lord God. He has guided my heart to know what I want and what I want to be. It takes a heart for a man to love and understand. Love is the secret ingredient in finding happiness. Loving what you do, loving what you give, loving what you say and loving your life as a whole. If you mentioned family to me I would easily find peace of mind. If you talked about education and knowledge, my mind is up to it. If you mentioned children to me, my heart is playful. If you mentioned traveling, adventure or nature, my energy goes high. If you mentioned doing more and being more for others, my soul feels complete.
And these are my passions.
Thank you Prof Jorge for this reflection.
Thank you everyone for reading my story.
God bless!
Leader Anne Mayette Boese 3.5
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