Thankful for more than just a 9 to 5

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I try to be a positive person; I try to be thankful and appreciative of the blessings in my life, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. This morning, however, thankfulness was found with ease.

For most people who know me, you know that community is important to me. You know that I rely heavily on my friends, I value the support of my family and I try to love those around me through the heavy and the light. I believe that people need other people and that we were created to love and be loved. I believe that the little things can sometimes mean more than you’d expect and that we can all use a little extra sunshine at times.

Recently I crossed the milestone of my first year pretending to be an adult, and as I continue to mature, something I’m growing more and more thankful for is my job. There are practical, fundamental reasons for employment thankfulness, of course: lifestyle comfort, financial fulfillment, education etc. But I like to brag about the things that make my job more than just a paycheck. The people are my favorite part. I continue to meet and grow in friendship with such wonderful people – from my office, to the shop, to customers, to suppliers – this industry continues to surprise me.

The spark for today’s appreciation starts with a coworker. One of our staff has been out of the office because of kidney stones – not a fun experience to say the least. My boss suggested that we do something nice to welcome her back to the office; so yesterday I picked up some flowers and a card for everyone to sign. We were happy to see her this morning and gave her the gifts with a huge “welcome back.” She was so appreciative that she started to cry. I gave her a big hug and told her how happy we were to have her feeling better. She then walked around the office personally thanking everyone for the flowers and card. Something so little meant so much to her.

I texted my boss about her reaction and to thank him for his graciousness. This was his response:

We are all a part of each other’s lives. Some of us have large groups of friends and family and others not so much. Some of us have experienced love all of our lives and sadly it has escaped others. We should always try to take advantage of opportunities to lift those up that probably aren’t as fortunate as we are.

I’m not sure he will ever understand just how much those words mean to me.

Every word reflects values by which I try to live. I believe that our stories are important, and that we are a part of something greater than ourselves. I believe that we are meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. These beliefs are hugely inspired by To Write Love On Her Arms, an organization close to my heart and one that continues to influence me to live a life of hope and love with the belief that our better days are ahead.

So today, I’m very thankful to be a part of this organization – thankful to be an employee of Sign Faces – thankful to have a job that’s more than just a job. To be surrounded by people with such a heart for others – that is something to cherish. To have a boss who believes in community – that is something to brag about.

I live for the hope to be surprised – I try to move for things that matter. And today…one year and sixteen days into my first big girl job…I know I’m sharing in something special – something more than just a time clock. And I am thankful.