Leo

I went to KL recently for a 2 Days and 1Night breather.  I hung out with a very good friend of mine from the nursing school, Leo and he will be the center of my blog entry for today. 

I still remember the very first day I met him, it was in our Biology Class. He was sitting at the back, wearing a creased off white uniform and murmuring while reading the thick Kozier book. I sat beside him. I was a bit skeptical on whether I should talk to him or not but of course the blabber in me cannot be curbed so I introduced myself and initiated the howdy.  He seemed like a very nice person and I knew from that moment that we will get along well. Since then, we always hang out during breaks and sometimes offer him a ride to school/home whenever I am in Laguna (place where I grew up in Philz). I even took a jeepney ride with him going to school when my car decided to take a "sabbatical". Never did he know that I was observing him on that jeepney ride.  He was so focused on studying. I have never met anyone who can read like him. He reads too much that the book looked like it has survived a national catastrophe. The pages of the book were already crinkled and starting to fall off . One wrong move and it will just easily break apart. I was also so impressed on how did he manage to read and study on his way to school in a jeepney while I can't even concentrate on a single paragraph and not be easily get distracted by people hopping on and off. 

He was the top student in our batch. Out of the thousands of nursing students in our batch! I can't even barely reach the top slot in our class. Although a lot of people perceived him as a Genius, he never made anyone feel that he is superior over the others. He was very humble. He is just like any other ordinary students, bubbly, cheerful, comical..but the marvelous thing about him is that he was very helpful. He was never selfish. I remember when I barged into his house asking for his help to tutor me. Together we examined the bones (yes real human bones!) and because of his selflessness,  I aced the anatomy/physio practical exam.

Knowing him back in the day, I am very proud of what he has become now. Not only because he is an undeniably successful entrepreneur but also he became BETTER.  I am not saying that he was atrocious back then, what I meant is he became a better version of himself. He was able to expand his horizon and was courageous enough to step out of his comfort zone.  No matter how much success he's having now, he is still the same humble & generous Leo that I met. 

On my last day at KL, during our monorail ride to the airport, he told me that if he will be given a chance to become super rich, he wants to coach people to become successful as well. He wants to inspire others and be a living proof that anyone can be someone if they want to. Well, Leo my dear, you don't need to become super rich to inspire others because you have already inspired a person like me and I am pretty sure that there are a lot of people who see you the way I do.

Thank you for inspiring me. I might not have told you how much you have touched my heart but I want you to know how thankful I am to meet a friend like you. You are an incredible person with an amazing heart so please don't ever sell yourself short.

I am very proud of you! May you have more success and be able to inspire more and more people each day. 

Remember that wherever life takes you, your Ate Jackie will be somewhere in the world rooting for you.

Keep in touch! :)