There is a bush beside the entrance to our Perrysburg building. About a year ago, a buck attacked it, stripping the bark off a whole side. We didn’t know if it was going to make it but had to wait out the winter to find out.
I mention this only because, coincidentally, I felt much like that tree last year. A little worse for the wear. A little hurt. A little raw. My sister-in-law gave me a book called “Journey to the Heart” and I came across a passage last week that really spoke to me. It was about work.
“Work can take us into the rhythm of life. Work can bring us back to service, back to our hearts, back to our souls. You don’t have to leave ourselves behind when we do the tasks of life…value work. Let it connect you. Let it follow the rhythms of life.”
My rhythm of life has changed and is changing. At home and in the office. As someone who finds comfort in schedule and order, this year my focus was making the conscience effort to consider this ebb and flow a schedule in itself. If I planned to make chili for dinner but forgot to turn the crock pot on, who cares? Costco pizza is just as good (and they have ice cream!). If I go back for a second brownie, consider it done and move on – what’s the value in continuous self-deprecation? If I show my feelings, that makes me human. I have a good heart. That will always be there, even if I have a tough day. So many times, I focus on my faults. Why not show some confidence, too?
That brings me to my job. I’ve felt more connected to my place at Phelan Orthodontics than ever before. This year we celebrated a number of big staff anniversaries…4 years, 5 years (x2), 35 years. My staff have become a valuable part of my journey to forgiveness and peace. They have supported me through a difficult year, through loss and through triumph. They make me laugh. I make them laugh. We have created a sort of synchronicity in the chaos.
I’ve found myself more protective of my cases, too…instituting a system of checks and balances throughout the course of treatment to provide excellent case finishes grounded in skill, diligence, and documentation. The Oregon office completed its rejuvenation and feels like a lighter place to work. Thank you to a very special family who gifted me some cute mushroom décor.
And Audrey. She continues to test me and impress me and remind me that no matter how my day at work went, it doesn’t matter. When I come home, I am hers. A few of you have met her when she surprises me at the office. Hearing her little tinkling voice exclaim “Mommy!” is a sound that’s burrowed itself into a very special corner of my heart. Years from now, I’ll still hear it and it will make me smile.
Now, do you remember that tree? The one the buck scraped? It actually bloomed this year. If you look closely, you can still see a scar on the trunk but the leaves are bright and healthy. So, remember to have hope…seasons change and so can we.
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