I work with wonderful people. No, really I do. For the most part, always have. Sometimes people say that and don’t mean it, but for me, I am reminded of it again and again. Take tonight for example. I played bunko, a game I haven’t played I don’t think since my daughter was in my tummy, with a bunch of awesome gals from the elementary I work at. They are loving and kind and fun. They are my now coworkers. I appreciate them and show gratitude for their role in my life which is now. Everywhere I have been I have coworkers who have made a difference. Tonight, as I write, my last coworkers, really businesswomen who I cherish, miss and love are on my mind.
At one point of my life, I was a direct sales gal. I LOVED my job! It gave me the kudos I needed, the confidence I did not have and the bravery to step out of my box. In some ways, it really did make me the person I am today. At the time, I was not a hobbyist. I was in full boar. I wanted and did earn the vacations. I wanted to be in the top 10 and was. I wanted to get all the free gifts and product I could. I did. I was somehow proving my worth to myself and those around me. I don’t know if everybody in my life “got” that, but as I look back, I certainly get it and I guess that is all that really counts. But, here is the part that as I look back matters the very most out of everything…the people I met along the way.
Last weekend was the Convention of the company I was with. I didn’t go because of money and time and the fact that while that position I held gave me self worth, I have grown to find other things that provide self worth to me. Two of my closer friends in life did go. We always meet and greet our friend from Indiana and have dinner and she stays with us before Convention…then we all used to go together. Not this year. They went without me. As we ate sushi (delicious I may add) the night before, I was kinda sad. Not because I felt like I needed to be there, but because I miss rooming with those girls. I miss messing with their make-up and them with mine. I miss picking out jewelry and oogling over their cool dresses. I miss standing on stage with them knowing that the accomplishments we had were together. I wasn’t there when N won the highest award our company gave. Will I always regret that?
It wasn’t about lotion or skin care or scrubs, it was about relationships. Building relationships with women I Value. And Love. And Respect. Who would give you the coat off their back should you need it. Building relationships while we talked about bum spa classes, or when our kids excelled, or didn’t. Or when we had babies or husband issues or just bad cramps. Those were the best times. Those were the times I remember. When J would push me to be the woman I almost was and then became. When D & D loved me just because. When S was pregnant and had her precious baby. When K and J and N just supported me and told me it would all be okay. I believed those women and they were right.
They are still right today. I may not work with them every day now or even talk to them but every once in a while, but many times their voices still ring in my head. I miss them although I mostly feel like an outsider now.
I have new woman that will push me and prod me in a million different and new ways. And I will love and appreciate them. I will continue to grow. They will leave imprints upon my heart and so the cycle goes.
Thank you to those who have mentored me and shown me my value and taught me that I am the one who makes me become who I am…I do love and cherish you and always will.
