These were the emails that was handed to me by my supervisor last Wednesday (which is in front of me, though already folded as I type this down) congratulating me for what they say was "a job well done".

But just to be swift, I am not writing this to brag about a commendation. Just to make it clear, commendations especially the announced kind is one thing I am uneasy about even before. I have been with my job for four and a half months now and all this time, despite times of fear about failure, I was just doing things and living on that one day at a time philosophy. After all, mom kept telling me, love your job -- and mean it.

And it was the same thing last Tuesday. I was assisting a client over the phone just as usual and at the end of the call, the client who thankfully was happy, asked for my supervisor's email address. While I sent the information, I immediately shrugged the whole thing afterward and moved to the next call I had to attend to.

So I really had this disbelief come Wednesday night when these letters came with emails from my bosses with the latest coming from the head office in the US. My immediate boss was smiling at me as I was reading the email with my hands shaking. I even remembered her telling me, "wag kang iiyak ha." but I was unable to hold it, eventually I still did.

I don't see it as an OA moment. Within the time that I am in this job, I've been through a measure of tough, stressful times; and having to deal with people from different races and attitudes is not that easy as eating peanuts. I found it amazing that despite being someone who is impatient, tagged as snooty and one who feels a certain social anxiety, this job has actually gave me a sweet resolve that actually tested my patience -- only to realize that I could actually handle it.

And it's not always everyday that these things actually pass my way. But more than just the overflowing congratulatory notes from my supervisors and managers that made my heart want to swell in happiness, I had to read back to the message that was sent by the client.

An excerpt of which was this:

I don't really fish out compliments from people as I feel too uneasy about it. For me, just as long as they don't shout cuss or cursing words over the phone and just hearing them happy and satisfied is enough knowing that I have accomplished something good. But hearing those words from the client made my heart melt -- at least for a moment being as I go back to the real world -- before my phone rings again with someone in need of help.