There’s a certain awkward charm in dining with colleagues you barely know—those familiar faces you pass by in the hallway but never get the chance to talk to. Working in a company with roughly 300 to 400 employees means you recognize a lot of people, yet most remain strangers in every sense except name tags and elevator rides. Today reminded me exactly how that feels.
I had lunch with a small group of colleagues at Ayala Malls Makati for some work matters. Honestly, I imagined a simple, quick meal—maybe each of us ordering a “good for one” dish or even grabbing packed lunches to keep things easy. But to my surprise, we ended up ordering food for sharing. Partly because the company provided travel allowance for meals, but also because it felt more fitting for a group. Still, ordering took longer than expected. Since we barely knew each other, no one wanted to impose their preferences. It took almost twenty minutes of polite indecision before we finally settled on a familiar spread of modern Filipino dishes: garlic rice, crispy chicken skin, lumpia, and adobong manok.
While waiting for our food, we started chatting—slowly at first, then gradually warming up. And in that simple exchange, I realized something. The people who show up the most often carry the heaviest loads. One colleague shared, almost casually, that he had been “triple hatting” for months because his teammates had resigned. Three jobs. One person. No complaints—just quiet endurance.
Listening to him made me pause. I have my fair share of work frustrations, but hearing what he has been navigating made my own worries feel so small. It reminded me of how everyone carries unseen battles, whether it’s work overload, personal struggles, or burdens heavier than they let on.
From moments like this, I’m learning to be more mindful. Whenever I face challenges, I try to look at the brighter side and remember that many others—flood victims, families of exposed corrupt officials, people dealing with hardships far worse—are fighting even tougher storms.
Sometimes, dining with almost-strangers teaches you more than you expect. Today, it taught me empathy.
That's it for today's blog. See you in my next one!
Sending some love and light
With love, Jane