Categories: uncategorized
Date: 21 July 2005 11:55:19
I received a call from my manager from my last company today. It was a great blessing to hear from him: I was greatly blessed to have him as a manager, and I'd say friend, both during my time in that company and after I left. We don't speak that often now, but when we do speak it is as if no time has passed.
He was ringing to see how I did at uni...and he was quite impressed! He encouraged me to look into teaching English to migrants and refugees when I was first considering it all those years ago. He saw I felt a calling towards it. He was also the best manager a person could ask for: not too demanding, patiemt, always willing to help, wise, full of good humour, and someone who took great interest in the lives of his staff. For most of my time there I was the only one in his team [we worked on a small project] and I remember those days fondly. We learnt a great deal about each other and had days full of fun and laughter. Work was always a pleasure to go to.
He belongs to the Maronite Church and many conversations included religion. He knew I was involved in my church and we had a great many conversations on the topic. I told him about my urges towards monasticism and he encouraged my looking into it. I still am, slowly. He still tells me I'll be in a monastery one day!
But most wonderfully for me, he was a great help and a great support during my first major depression episode in mid-2003. I had been moved to a new department and I disliked it intensely. Add to this the fact I was entering clinical depression and it was a mix that was bound to not be pleasant. After two weeks there I couldn't eat without throwing up; I wasn't sleeping more than three hours a night; and I was crying continually. When I went back to my old office for a day to help him with something, I broke down in front of him. And he, thanks to God, was a great help. He got me time off. He spoke to my new manager.
There was no job for me back at my old department so I took the plunge and resigned. I had three months off work on doctor's orders while I tried different anti-depressants and saw a psychiatrist. They were dark days, but he remained in contact with me. I didn't realise how blessed I was and how God was assisting me in many ways through him (and my family, friends, doctor and psychiatrist as well) at the time, but I do now. And I still get extremely emotional thinking upon it.
It was wonderful to hear from him and hear what he has been up to, as well as sharing what's been happening with me, over the past few months. I've said it here before, so please bear with me, but friendship is indeed a true blessing.