Take a Moment

I was leaving work tonight, running late, trying to hurry home to get the dog to take him for his 4th chemo treatment.  The time was cutting it close, anyway, and the visit lasts a while because they have to take blood first, test it, then give the treatment.  There's really no time to poke around.

As I approached my car at the bottom of the parking lot, I spotted 3 or 4 deer grazing in the field below the lot.  Late or not, I couldn't help but stop and snap a few photos and about 15 seconds of video, just in case it took movement to tell what they were from that distance.  Nature is a surprise a minute.  It's hard to resist.

I arrived home with just a few minutes to set the pet ramp up behind the car, put my things down, get Solomon out of the house and into the back.

Solomon suddenly decided he really didn't want to go and rolled over on his side, so I took my drink and purse to the car first & came back inside the gate to try again.  Over my shoulder, I saw a lady come from a truck parked in front of mine.  Solomon started barking, so I walked outside the fence to talk to her.

She asked me about my flowers, trying to find something new to plant at her own house.  She told me she passes every day and always looks to see the flowers.  And that quick, she was on her way back to the truck.

I turned back to my gate and in the pause where I turned back, tempted to offer to help her plant (she said she lives around the corner), she was already pulling away.

I was glad I didn't brush her off in my hurry and I was glad she stopped at all.  For me, it was affirmation that my landscape is achieving my goal - to give people something pleasing to look at, even if it's just driving by.

We hit a little traffic on our way to the vet and called to let them know we'd be a few minutes late.
 A small price to pay for a shared moment.  I hope she's glad she stopped, too...

Change of Season

I just spent all day in the yard - most of it breaking things down to store for the winter.  As depressing as it is to pack it all up and see the empty space, I know this change of season is the one thing that forces me to de-clutter the yard and the storage sheds.  Yes, that was plural - I've accumulated so much outdoor stuff, I've had to obtain multiple storage sheds and bins to accommodate everything.

 After dark, I sat on the front porch swing with my best 4-legged friend.  It was peaceful and it really felt good to sit there surrounded by the newly open space. 

I'm someone who is known to spend all day in the yard, always working on something.  I squeeze every  drop of sunlight out of a day.  The days have been getting shorter and soon it will be dark too early to do much out there.  I may tinker around with a few new designs using oddball pavers, but the majority of the landscape work is done for the year.

As much as I hate to wish time away, I am really looking forward to next summer.  This place is going to be awesome next summer!  I'm leaving off at a point where I'm all set for a few great spring projects.  The good thing is, I will have a few months' break from chasing down the abundant weeds and hopefully be able to get ahead of them in the spring.

Maybe the biggest relief of this year's change of season is leaving the outside projects and being able to focus totally on the indoor projects.  Last winter, I spent months confined to mostly my bedroom or the couch as I recovered from knee surgery.  No access to the basement for months - no home improvement projects.

Yes, I'm looking forward to a season of transforming my cluttered home office into a streamlined desk space with a wall of books.  I need this space to be an inspiration for my writing.  Doing the inside work this season will prepare it for the major project next year to open it up with an inspirational view of the back yard.  And a sliding door to that space is going to allow me to step right into my backyard paradise.

Each season has a reason, I suppose.  As hard as it is to stay inside and miss the birds and flowers....it's a season for change....

Someone to Share My Cookies

One of my previous posts talks about a guy who sat next to  me at work and how I realized he liked donuts....just before he left the company.  It took me a few months to get to know him after I was displaced & moved into the cube next to him.  But, I no sooner recognized that kindred spirit and he was gone.

This week, a friend of mine from work found out she got his old job!  I am so excited!  For many reasons...

It's not my department, but it is my division.  I used to work in the same department with her, years ago, so I know what she can do....well, she can do much more now....

I actually applied for a different position in that same department - it just happened to open soon after that one.  Oh, I was so hopeful that we would both land those positions and be working together again.  I mean, as "not easy" as my acclimation was to the team I worked in with her years ago, she and I really ended up having a great working relationship, and more.  Turns out, I didn't even get an interview for the other position, but it doesn't even matter.  I'm just as excited that she'll be (probably) sitting next to me.  And, of course, I know that department just added an excellent person to their team.

It's funny.  We're working in a world where remote teams and diverse geographic locations are the norm in business.  Work gets done - we have the technology.  And for those who really put forth the effort, it really is possible to form "personal" relationships with people miles and miles away.  I don't care what anyone says.  Where there's a will, there's a way.

And don't mistake "personal" for romantic or inappropriate.  I really mean it in the way that forms the connections that make work life more human.  The things the classes tell you you're supposed to do - find out what motivates people, what matters to them - find common ground.  I have formed those types of relationships with people I work with across the miles, and it really does work.

And, yet, there is still something special about being able to peek around a cubicle wall and smile.  Or greet in the morning, or walk with to the cafeteria.

I really have tried to do those things with the people who sit near me already...even though I really don't work with them.  It's slow.  Everybody's too busy.  Or too absorbed.  And, honestly, it's been pretty lonely. I sit in my cube and work and eat.  I pack my lunch and snacks to last the whole day long. 

Connections are important.

I'm excited.  I'll soon have someone to share my cookies...

Dare to Make Someone's Day

It doesn't take much - sometimes just a few seconds - to make someone's day.  I know, because I am thankful any time someone takes the time to be kind to me.  Not only does it feel good, but it can last all day!

Last week, I was walking down the hall at work and I saw a lady I know coming toward me.  She was wearing a sleeveless top and in that moment, she was absolutely radiant!  "You are really looking great!" I told her as I approached. 

I wish you could have seen her face beaming.  "Oh, THANK YOU," she said with a huge smile.

Now, I happen to know that this lady worked hard to lose a bit of weight a few years back.  I also recently saw her in the gym at work, where she told me she continues to work out faithfully.  I also know that she's recently suffered the loss of her sister and I think she has some other family things going on.  In general, I really like her.  We aren't close and only have a conversation every few months, if that.  But she's someone I really want to feel good, so it's never hard to pay her a compliment.

The thing is, though I am often attentive to the people closest to me, I don't reserve my compliments for people I like, or even people that I know.  When I step into the elevator, where it's normally silent, I'm quick to comment on a pretty necklace or a colorful dress.  I often pay attention to the details of the people at the grocery store checkout, the waitress serving my food, or anyone in my sight for more than a second. 

I really believe that everyone deserves to feel important, or at least feel like someone sees them, even for a moment.  And if there's something to compliment, even better.

So, I encourage you to point out the positives in the people you know, but also to step outside most people's comfort zone and comment on something to a perfect stranger.  Make it a habit - because it's not just rewarding when you're on the receiving end - the smile you can bring to someone else's face is absolutely priceless!