Gratitude

This morning, I read an old journal entry I wrote in 2019. It was gratitude for the previous ten years of my life. Gratitude for everything that had happened.

As I travelled down memory lane, I thought of my past employees and realised every single one worked to bring us to where we stand today — even the questionable ones.

There was the one who left without warning; she taught me about notice periods in a contract. 

The one who deleted confidential information. She taught me about security and privacy in our systems.

The one who came in greenbut grew and blossomed over the years showed me that the right people cannot be identified merely from a CV. You need to look beyond the surface. I also learnt I don’t have to do it all and that God will send just the right people who can.

The one who brought her authentic, likeable self showed me the beauty in other cultures and religions. 

The one who was toxic taught me you can be incredibly good at something but also mean and spiteful as a person. One does not cancel out the other. I learned to enforce a healthy work culture. 

The one who bullied another member of staff taught me about the need for HR policies.

The one who came in for two days, introduced me to an invite-only organisation I’d been trying to get into and immediately left as she had exams. She taught me God was watching over me. He still does.

The one who was mature in age taught me to relax and enjoy every moment. Because, in the words of my son, “It’s not that deep.”

Then there were freelancers, mentors, suppliers, and logistics. I have stories for days. Including the driver who brought in narcotics with my furniture from the EU and was apprehended at the border  — true story — and the one who did a nine-hour delivery job for me for free because he wanted to bless me. 

God shows himself faithful through all people, and for that, I am thankful. It is easy to celebrate only our wins and denounce our failures and mistakes. But gratitude for everything helps us to see the hidden gems in every circumstance.