We felt we needed a moment to unwind and think after attending a somber wake for one of our coworkers. The weight of the moment remained, yet we chose to pause for a brief meal to rejuvenate and lighten our thoughts. Even in times of grief, the simple act of eating together offered a sense of comfort. The comfort of a hearty meal can offer relief, enabling us to briefly escape our sorrow and enjoy the presence of those near us. It wasn't the food that mattered, but the comfort found in a fleeting sense of normalcy and connection following an emotional event.
Hello everyone! Welcome to another episode of my blog this week. For today’s post, I want to share a quick and spontaneous night spent with my coworkers after we visited the wake of one of the employees at Bridge Culture Inc. Additionally, I’d like to share some reflections from that day. Keep reading!
Before I went home, Sir Raul, our team leader, instructed the OSH team to visit the wake of one of the employees here at Bridge Culture who passed away very suddenly. Sadly, some of the OSH team couldn’t attend because they live far from the city, and others had early work the next day, as we were heading there around 11 PM and would likely return by 2 AM. Thankfully, there was one tutor who wanted to join us in visiting the wake. I also informed Sir Raul that I asked my boyfriend to come with me since it was already late at night, and he agreed.
We headed to St. Peter Imus because the wake was there. We extended our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We were all surprised when we heard the news from her friend that she had passed away. Miss Chatlyn and I knew that she had been on maternity leave since December 2024, as she had just given birth, and we never thought that something like this would happen just a month after she delivered her baby. Everything happened so suddenly. We were familiar with her because she would usually visit the clinic for blood pressure and weight checks.
As we visited the wake, we were happy to bump into some of the resigned employees who had arrived earlier than us. We exchanged words and caught up on their careers after they resigned from the company. We couldn’t help but reflect, even though we often segued the topic to avoid feeling too sad. For them, they were really saddened because the person who passed away was their friend, and they couldn't believe the news when they heard it.
After staying for an hour, we bid our goodbyes to the family because we were mindful of the time, as we still had work the next day. Additionally, Sir Raul and the other employees hadn’t had dinner yet because they had just come from work.
As we strolled outside, we decided to have a pagpag. “Pagpag” is a traditional Filipino superstitious belief that means to shake off or purify oneself from the mournful atmosphere of the event by stopping for a meal at a restaurant or food stall.
We decided to do the pagpag at the Alberto’s Pizza - Mabolo branch since it was nearby. Sir Raul, Miss Chatlyn, and Miss Rutchel were the ones who decided to order and treated us since we accompanied them. We burst into laughter and tears as Miss Rutchel taught us some Waray language, and my boyfriend taught Sir Raul proper Tagalog. Their curiosity about different languages became our topic of conversation as we waited for our food to be served.
As the food was being served, we also took some pictures. Aside from doing pagpag, this kind of bonding also served as a way to unwind after a very stressful day at work. It was so nice to catch up, and we made sure not to talk about work. Instead, we spent our time laughing as we learned different languages, talking about life, relationships, and our career paths in the future. We also shared some jokes that made us laugh and smile, knowing that as we headed home, we needed to rest and prepare for another day of work.
Life reflection: As we get older, life feels more fragile. We never know when our finish line will come. While we live on this earth, it’s truly important to live life to the fullest and explore everything we haven’t yet. The most important thing, though, is to learn from our mistakes while exploring. Learning is a part of growing. And as you grow, you become more mature in the decisions you make in life.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and connect with my thoughts today. I’m excited to continue sharing my journey with you, and I hope you found something here that resonated or sparked an idea. This blog is a space for growth, inspiration, and conversation, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or experiences in the comments. Feel free to share if something stood out to you. Here’s to many more stories, lessons, and moments of connection ahead! See you in the next post!