Of love, faith and family
As someone who has always treasured personal interactions, I felt the adjustment that we all had to go through in the past few months. But while social distancing became the new normal and our lives may have been upended due to the pandemic, I believe that our love, friendships and relationships have not been canceled. More importantly, it became an opportunity for many of us to strengthen our faith, and to put it into action through being of service to others.
I recently had the chance to speak to some of my friends Jewelmer EVP and deputy CEO Jacques Christophe Branellec, DMARK Beauty Corporation CEO Nikki Tang, Madison Galeríes owner Joy Rustia and Times Paint Corporation president Reginald Yu about how they celebrated important milestones in their families and personal lives in the past three months. They also shared some of the biggest lessons they have learned. These stories show that indeed, while our public events may be postponed, what’s truly important remain: love, family, and finding joy in the simplest things.
Johnny Litton:What has been the biggest lesson you have learned?
Jacques Christophe Branellec: Being a pearl farmer prepares you to work very hard, and to be meticulous in every single thing you do. At the same time, it makes you humbly realize that, even with all that effort and planning, you still have very little control over the final result. At the pearl farm, we have had experiences with major challenges like typhoons and other natural calamities that were out of our control. We simply had to pick up the pieces and rebuild with what’s left. With that experience, we tend to think that we can step out of work and into our personal lives where we believe we can exert more control. This crisis, however, has shown us that everything can change in an instant as well. What matters is not the degree of control, but the attitude we take to face the issue at hand, as well as the way you maximize the resources available to you to make the best out of the situation, not just for yourself but also for those around you. The past few months have really been a practice of gratitude for even the most minute things that, in a normal situation, we would have easily taken for granted. It is in scarcity that we are able to appreciate everything that we have.
Nikki Tang: First of all, life is fragile. Our course and trajectory can change in an instant. Our certainties are never certain and we always have to be open to change. Another thing is that we can never take for granted what we have and to hold on to everything that is precious to us, and to treat them with the respect and safety they deserve. I also learned that we need to maximize our time because every moment is important. As for our employees, I was reminded that the talent around me is so critical, and to treasure it more than ever.
Joy Rustia: I was reminded that family is central, my rock and soul. No one can replace the happiness that our loved ones can bring. Life is short, so we need to spread goodness and never stop helping others. Health is our greatest wealth, and God is the center of everything.
Reggie Yu: The current crisis has once again reminded me of the brief and fragile nature of our lives, and the primacy of our well-being and that of our family, above all else. I have since stumbled upon some hard truths at the heart of my silver lining outlook towards the pandemic. First of all, apart from doing my part by staying at home to slow the spread of the virus, I realized that, with plenty of time to kill, I’ve learned to love myself more. I found myself taking more adequate rest now, as compared to my pre-lockdown schedule, when sleep seemed like a luxury at that time, when I had so many social commitments that would last till the wee hours of the evening. Secondly, I noticed that the family was eating healthier meals because fast food was no longer an option. Another is the fact that, being locked with my family, I had more opportunity to spend quality time with them, oftentimes having taken for granted back when my time was devoted to leading another volunteer endeavor, or attending another social function with friends. Finally, this period allowed me to be more forgiving of myself and others in terms of what we accomplish, knowing that we’re all going through something that none of us has ever had to deal with. At the end of the day, we’re all doing what we can to get through this period, and it’s important to give ourselves the time to step back and breathe and relax if we hope to keep going.
What role has your faith played during this unprecedented time in history?
Nikki: My faith and religious beliefs have become stronger and deeper despite the fact I have not been able to use customary ways to take my prayers and meet fellow worshippers. Our strength has been tested but God will never test us past our capabilities. The relevance of prayer, faith, hope and belief has never been more appropriate. I can safely say I would not have coped effectively as I have with all the challenges the pandemic has brought to me and my family without the power of love in God. I can only offer advice to those in struggle and difficulty to reach out to the Lord. We are never alone.
Joy: The experience of not being able to go to church has not in any way altered our personal faith and belief in Catholic church. Our bonding as a family during Sundays to celebrate mass even on line has always been a time for reflection, forgiveness and gratitude.
