The morning I walked into the office with a stack of meticulously labeled folders, no one there suspected I’d spent the entire night in an ICU.
My son had been rushed in after a sudden accident, and when I asked my boss for five emergency days off, he refused—reminding me, with chilling detachment, to “keep work and personal matters separate.” I should have argued or walked out right then. But exhaustion can crystallize what truly matters. So the next day, I returned—not out of obedience, but out of quiet resolve.
As I crossed the office floor, my coworkers lifted their heads, bracing for an outburst or collapse. Instead, I carried something far heavier than anger: I brought every project finished, printed, sorted, and ready for handoff, so the team wouldn’t suffer in my absence. Continue reading…
