Writer: Emmariel Ares
Editor: Kiddie Rodaje
Just like many young kids, my dream job changed a lot through the years. First, I wanted to be a nurse so I can work in a hospital and help those who are sick. Then, I decided that I wanted to become a chef. Food is life and I wanted to work every day making them. Next, I remembered that I loved animals so I thought about being a veterinarian doctor. Unfortunately, my family wanted me to take on a different path. My grandmother, mom, and auntie are teachers so they wanted me to be a teacher as well because they said that it is a stable job with a stable income. I ended up choosing the Bachelor of Education major in Special Education program in college.
Although being a teacher was only recommended to me, I learned to love it along the way. I found it a great thing that it taught me discipline and responsibility. One of the courses that we studied was Psychology and it was fascinating for me to learn about the human mind and how people act in specific situations. Fortunately, I was able to graduate without any problems. I consider my success in getting a diploma as one of the best things that ever happened in my life.
As a fresh graduate, I applied for work in a BPO company. I had zero confidence that I was going to be accepted but my friends were the ones who pressured me to try. Imagine my surprise when I got hired! The work was very different from what I studied for in college but I learned to like it over time. I hear some people from the industry saying that what they find most challenging about the BPO industry is the graveyard shift. For me, the part that I had the most difficult time with was keeping my mental health stable. Since I work in an industry that provides customer service, it can’t be helped that there are times that negative emotions take over. Some callers would get mad and say bad words when they get frustrated with their situation. I would feel frustrated while trying to help them. I tried my very best to remain strong and unaffected but I get emotional and hurt when a customer would take their anger out on me. At that time, my heart just couldn’t take it. I think this was where my fear of phone calls began. Being a newbie, I just wasn’t prepared even though I was told that things like this could happen in a call center. Trust me, I wanted to be like those who do not let customers’ anger affect them personally but I could not help but flinch every time I hear the phone ring. I couldn’t get my bad experiences out of my head and the pressure was too much for me. Work was beginning to give me only stress and anxiety.
But then came 2019, God decided to give me my most-awaited plot twist. Usually, people refer to their lovers as their plot twists. But for me, I am talking about my baby boy – the greatest blessing that I have received in my entire life. When I got pregnant, I had to stop working. Then began the mood swings, food cravings, and sore body. But I remember all I felt ever since I found out the news was genuine happiness. I have not been lucky when it comes to relationships. Honestly, I’ve met men who I thought were the one but it turns out, we weren’t meant to be – the classic “pinagtagpo ngunit di tinadha” scenario. And for the longest time, I just wished to have someone who will always love me unconditionally in my life. My relationship might not have worked out but it still left me with my child who has now become my whole world.
It feels amazing to finally have someone I can shower all my love to and who fills the empty void in my heart. With my baby, I am now content with my life and empowered to take on the world. Now I have a reason to work even harder, I have learned to face my fears. For him, I braved my trauma and became mentally stronger. I want to give him a bright future and I will make sure that no one hinders that even if it is an irate customer yelling over the phone.
Being a single mother is extremely hard but I don’t regret anything at all. One look at my child’s face and all the hard work is worth it. I am determined to give it my all and be the best mother to my son. So that if he gets to read this in the future, he will know that I may have not been able to give him a perfect family, but his mama will forever give him twice as much love and care so he will never feel that something is missing in his life. To my son, you are the love of my life and I could never ask for a bigger blessing than your existence.
It is now 2021 and my son is almost two years old. With him by my side, I feel like it strengthened my opinion on the Christmas season being a time for bonding with family. I think this is important because we never know what will happen in life especially with the current situation of the pandemic. So we should spend as much time as we can with the people we love. I am feeling blessed that I may have found it hard to adjust at first, but I am now working again in the BPO industry with a stronger heart and a ready-for-anything mindset. I am blessed that we have a chance to gather around the dining table and celebrate Christmas together with our bellies full of food and our hearts filled with love. Christmas sure is special and as long as I have my family and my beloved son, this holiday will continue to be my favorite forever. I hope that this Christmas season, we will still be able to feel the spirit of Christmas no matter where we are in the world. My Christmas will surely be another happy one and I sure hope yours will be too!
