The Value of Work

My father recently retired. I recall when he announced his retirement with finality, I told him I wanted to retire too if I could. 

It is not that I do not like my job, I like it very much. But sometimes it can get very demanding and tiring. But as my Hyung said, everything is tiring. This made me realize that although my profession has caused me stress, sleepless nights, and sometimes anxiety, it has also given me so many things to be grateful for, which I admit, I often ignore. 

Work is a blessing, I know that for a fact. I did experience fear and confusion when I left my previous job and spent four months looking for a new one. I know how much of a blessing it is to find a job after doing freelance work and losing one client after another. Having a regular job gives you that sense of security and one less thing to worry about.  

Although grateful, I can’t help but question, is this what life is about? I think, for all of us working, we realize that we spend more time at work than with our friends and family. It consumes so much of our time and energy we seldom give our quality presence at home. This makes our work an antagonistic force, forgetting that once upon a time, we prayed for this job. We were anticipating our first day. We looked forward to being part of something. And maybe we need to remind ourselves of that everyday. 

They say no one becomes wealthy by being an employee. That depends on how you define wealth though. If it is all about money, then perhaps they are right. There is nothing wrong with being an employee or starting a business, it is all up to you. The pandemic taught us that nothing is certain in this world and that we all just have to do our best. Employment may be imperfect and not ideal for most, but it is our bread and butter. For some, what they earn may not be enough, but the key is that they earn, and the struggle of making ends meet will not last forever. 

Another thing that we often neglect is the ease of processing documents when you have a job, especially here in the Philippines. Certificates of employment and employee’s IDs are very helpful when processing government and legal documents, loans and other things. This may sound trivial, but as an adult, these are among the things you worry about. Somehow, employment gives you that sense of identity and credibility. 

At times, work can be draining and it can make us question what existence is all about. Is it just about clocking in, working on the deliverables, going home and doing it all over again the next day? Yes, the routine is sometimes boring which makes work lose its meaning at times. We often neglect what work allows us to do. It allows us to be productive and to be a contributing individual in society. It provides us with opportunities to grow and develop our potential. It challenges us to become better versions of ourselves and for most, it provides us with colleagues who become friends and family for life. 

We often underestimate what work has done for us because of the challenges we encounter while being employed. But if we look closely, it provides us with mechanisms to enjoy life. It is just a matter of how we use them. Paycheck allows us to spend for our needs and wants, save, invest, and work on our other plans. What we earn allows us to treat our family and provide for them. It gives us the means to hang out with friends and experience new things. And yes, we have to go back to work again. Sit in front of our computer or stand at the other side of the counter or follow clients around, but that is us making our society function. Little contributions, but contributions nonetheless. 

We may have complaints, but no organization is perfect but no organization is perfect. We may want to be somewhere else, but where we are is where we are needed and where we are meant to be. Maybe you do not see yourself in that workplace five years from now. But you are there at the moment and it is only right that you give it the dedication it deserves. 

As my father said during his retirement speech, hardships are part of what is demanded of him as an employee. Whatever he went through is a necessary journey in order to build the foundation for the vision set by their agency. And I think he did a marvelous job, judging by how his colleagues felt towards him, leaving.