Fear, hope and a sprinkle of kindness

It’s always the smallest and sweetest gestures that make me happy. You don’t have to do something so grand or fancy for me neither do you need to give me an exotic gift. The smallest gestures mean everything to me.

We all have that one thing we love to use over and over again despite having tons of them. It can be an object, outfit, footwear, or anything, the reasons behind using these things are only known to us.

I have different types of coffee cups, heck I even go to the mall to shop for new ones once in a while but I end up using this particular cup over and again.

While this special cup of mine looks pretty nice and is always sparkling clean, I love it not only for how nice it looks or the feeling I get from using it but for also the beautiful story behind it.

I’ll share a little story with you all.

A few years ago when I was still a rookie at the firm I work with, learning on the job and carving my career path I met my first-ever client and you know how “Firsts” can be sometimes.

While undergoing my training I partnered with my superiors to provide audit services for clients but nothing felt like meeting your client for the first time and handling everything.

For the first time, I had to manage a client management system all by myself, from the planning of the audit to the audit execution, was it a beautiful or sad experience? You’d find out.

You all know how challenging it can be when you assume a new role. The fear of screwing up, the fear of making a mistake that could cost you a lot and so many uncertainties that gets into your head and make you think otherwise? That’s exactly how I felt that day.

I took a leap of faith that day to meet with my client, I was super pumped and was ready for any and everything or so I thought.

As they say “easier said than done”. In my head, I was super ready but reality spoke a different language regardless, I did my best.

I met with my client that day and everything was going smoothly until I was asked some pretty challenging questions and was presented with documents that I had never seen before. That day I felt like when I was in high school when my maths teacher would use some pretty easy maths problems as examples only to give us tons of difficult maths problems as classwork.

That was my reality and I was almost screwing up. At intervals, I’d call my superior to ask a few questions, it was so obvious that I was getting worked up. The client could tell and she said one of the sweetest and nicest things to me “You don’t need to have it all figured out yet” and I smiled.

She went on to recount her first days working at a law firm after graduating from law school, her challenges, and how she was doing thus far, with every word my client said to me the more I relaxed and smiled broadly.

She was so patient and understanding with me and I was shocked as I had braced myself for the worst-case scenario.

After we were done she applauded me and gave me a thumbs up. I was so happy that day that I could escape embarrassing myself, my firm, and my family.

She came back a few weeks later for a follow-up on her application and to also to congratulate me on a job well done. She brought some of her company’s merch and among them was this beautiful cup.

Staring at the merch I couldn’t believe my eyes that not only did a stranger believe in me to do a fantastic job, this stranger deemed it fit to congratulate me. I was overwhelmed with emotions that day.

This beautiful coffee cup of mine is a remembrance of a time a total stranger believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself, this cup is also a testament that good people truly exist.

I have had this beautiful cup for a while now and I love to have my coffee in it while I relish the awesome taste of the coffee and also reflect on my life.

If there’s one thing I learnt from my coffee cup story that would be “Everyone deserves a chance”. While people are so quick to write off rookies and demand the bosses to take charge of their businesses those rookies deserve a chance too.

_{All images are mine except otherwise stated.}

Thanks for stopping by
Loads of Love🥰🥰
XOXO