A Week in Review

So how’s summer time treating you? Alright? Is the tan all you were hoping it would be? I have a significant farmer’s tan going – round neck line and definite sleeves. Nice. If I’d thought about it earlier I would have taken a picture for you. Remind me to show it off when we see each other again. For now, let’s do A Week in Review.

Summer's End
You know how some people would love to live in a place where it’s 75 degrees year round? I’m not one of those people. I really like the change in seasons. And now that it’s August and we’re heading toward fall, I find myself really looking forward to it. This morning I wanted to eat a pumpkin cookie, and while walking through the park I thought about the leaves changing and the air cooling off. Mmmm, I love that.

Fall makes me want to buy new clothes, too. I think it’s all those years of back-to-school shopping. I still think that I need everything new in September, including notebooks, and of course makeup. The cosmetics companies are sending me emails with their new fall colors, tempting. A new season is right around the corner.

Lessons Learned
Speaking of going back to school, the school of life has taught me a lesson in self improvement this week. Back in January a coworker of mine came down with a strep infection that spread to major organs in his body, and embedded into the bones in his lower back. He was very, very sick, in the hospital for weeks, and then home on medical leave for months.

After the first couple of months passed, some of us started to doubt that he’d ever come back to work. He’s in his 60s, and has talked about retiring for years. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. I was just waiting for the day when we got the official word that he was done. Then I started to get frustrated with the fact that we were all having to cover his work while he was gone. And then I started to wonder out loud to friends just what his secret and devious plan might be? Why is he holding on to this job when we all know that he’s not coming back? I got caught up in speculation and ran wild with it, adding some pessimistic, almost accusatory, feeling.

And then, last week, we were told that he had gotten clearance from his doctors to come back to work. He was in the office on Monday and has been here all week. When I saw him on Monday, all those bad feeling went away, and I knew how wrong I had been. It was good to see him. We talked a bit about his illness. It was awful for him. He thanked me many times for covering different jobs while was gone. He told me how much he had missed this place, and that he had wanted to come back months ago. Being an invalid was making him crazy. I told him jokingly that we were all placing bets on whether or not we’d ever see him again, but I was secretly embarrassed about the attitude I harbored all of that time. Why didn’t I trust his good intentions? Why not give people the benefit of the doubt?

I thought, too, about the negative feelings I had while speculating, and about other times when I’ve felt the same way – all tense and bugged – and I finally learned that those feelings tell me that I’m on the wrong track. Either what I’m thinking or doing is wrong, or I’m losing patience when I need to hold on to it. It’s a lesson learned, and I hope that I’m mature enough to change my ways. Give people the benefit of the doubt, and trust your gut. Things work better that way.

I think that’s it for now. I hope you’re all happy and healthy. Thanks, as always, for your constant care.
You are loved.