When I Remember You

By: Charlton D. Kis-ing

I was lying in bed alone one rainy afternoon. I hear the rain drops splattering in the rooftop. I hear the wind blew softly from my window pane. I decided to wake up and open my window enough to watch the rain drops and feel the cool wind. Ah! It gives me chills as it soothes my withered body. I hear the children laughing and screaming at the top of their lungs enjoying and playing under the comfort of the summer rain.

I feel the joy of these children running around and playing, throwing muds at each other. The innocents in them transcends. These kids are worry free and so I thought they’re free and they’re enjoying every minute that they have playing.

I remember the vulnerability and freedom of being a kid. I remember the time when I cherished the mud fish given by my childhood friend before he left me with no playmates left. I remember the times when I playing under the avocado tree, playing wet soils wet by my own urine, crying over a pet and laughing with my dog.

I imagine I was playing with them. I imagine laughing with them. Then I remember I was alone in my house so dark and so quiet. Then I remember I am now at 40. I checked my watch and its almost sunset. I know someone would come. I remember I was waiting for someone to come. I know someone so special and yet so dear to me would come. I smell the aroma of the coffee coming from my neighbor’s house. “Ahhh smells so good! Smells so refreshing.” That aroma. I remember a place. My favorite since I was 25 years old. I remember the coziness of the place. I smiled. I know that place is special. I know I made it so special and so dear.

“Uncle!” I heard someone, a child’s voice. So, angelic and so sweet. I saw the child waiving so I waived back to the child then I saw him running away playing with the other kids. That kids face looks so familiar. I remember someone with that face.

Then I felt cold that I shiver down my bones. I felt my muscles are shaking. I felt my back is aching. I felt I was in a roller coaster ride. I felt I was spinning. I felt I was falling. Then I heard a scream, “Daddy, uncle fell!”, screamed the child. I can’t see anything. It was dark. I just felt cold and numb. I was shivering. I can’t move anything.

BLAGGG! I heard. I think it was the door opening. I hear footstep. I hear someone’s talking. I listened attentively. 

“Rey… hey buddy! Rey wake up.”

“Can someone help. Please call an ambulance.”

I feel him shaking me. I feel him hugging me. I feel the warmth of his embrace. It feels familiar. I tried to open my eyes wide. I touched his face. I touched his nape, his nose and his lips. “I know it’s you. I remember you”, I said.

“Shhhhh. I am happy you remember me my friend,” he replied.

“It was you I had been waiting for all these time. I haven’t seen you in a while, I will be waiting for you even in the after life till we will have more time to spend," I said

Then the numbness is growing fast, everything is fading away, and I felt I am freezing cold. I can’t understand what their saying. Everything is fading away. I no longer can’t hear anything, I can’t see anything, I can’t feel anything.

When It Rains It Pours

Everyone of us may probably know what my title is all about. Its actually very simple and very straight forward. "If things go wrong everything seems wrong but when opportunity knocks then there'd be a lot as well.

Many times in my life I somehow could atest to the moments where everything seems to be falling and or everything seems to be workin in my favor. We all have this moments in our life. The thing here is when everything is falling into the cracks the best is just to keep on sailing on, it shall pass like many other moments in our life. A storm can only stay and shatter you in a given amount of time just indure it and before we know it... it has passed its time.

There will also be moments in our life when we enjoy the bright and sunny days of our life. At this point in time, we shouldnt be relaxing we should enjoy that moment as we prepare when another storm should pass. The choice we make in these beautiful side of our life is our shield when another storm will pass...

In everything, I trust in God. I pray to Him when I am happy. I PRAY when I am sad. Trusting him in any way makes me delighted and at ease. In search for a new job or starting up a business its definitely about HIM... I knew I can never go wrong when I trust in Him.

Oportunities come in many forms and in many ways. So its up to you when you grab those opportunities and make the most of it because those opportunities do come to help you prepare for the days where everything seems to be falling apart.

We have summer time to prepare and we have spring to harvest and we have rainy days to enjoy what we have harvested. Thats the season of life and thats what I shall do moving forward.

The Leader In Me

Finding the Leader in Me

By: Charlton Domoguen Kis-ing

Miranda Priestly of Devils Wears Prada is always the kind of character that I perceive to be a great leader when I am starting my career. She has that character and personality so strong that would make you prioritize what she wants. She has a very good command and power that when she barges into the office, she already conveys message easily understood by everyone even without her saying any words.

As years go by, I then reassess myself and the kind of leadership I want to employ. I started asking myself, would I want to be a leader so stiff that no one dares to commit a mistake. Do I want to become someone else’s Miranda Priestly in their career life so afraid to commit a mistake because they’d know they’ll be eaten by the mighty lion ready to snap his jaw around their neck because they can’t deliver the expectation that I have in place?

Then I realized, being a Miranda Priestly is not someone I am made up for. I never wanted to be that dreadful person who makes everyone pee when I arrive. A leader who is like Miranda Priestly makes shiver and a leader who employs fear to get ths job done.

As I mature, my perception about effective leader has changed. A leader is a mother so tender to understand his children no matter what happen. A leader is a father who has that ample amount toughness to sail the team towards the goal. A leader influences his people to do what is right. Above all, a leader is someone who can work tirelessly with his people towards achieving the goal, sailing together towards one mission and sharing one vision.

I wanted to be like Moana who leads her people by example. Who defy norms to save her people. That one leader who is willing to sacrifices herself for her people. Thats the leader who I want to become. The leader who operates for and by the people.

Take the leap and take the courage to take off.