#write31days | October 28
Friday afternoon I had a rare treat of happy hour out with friends, specifically this week the friends I used to work with. Since changing jobs this fall I’ve missed my work friends the most. My new job is going really well, but coming from a large team to virtually no team has been an adjustment. We spend a lot of time at work, so the people I work with are really important to me. I was fortunate to make really good friends in my last job.
One of the greatest blessings of my former team is the things I learned from them. While oftentimes our work environment was very hard, we all came alongside each other, buckled down and got the work done together. We named a couple of those tasks which could have been disasters as “Camp _________” to make them more fun and upon completion felt like we should have had t-shirts made for posterity sake. We spent a lot of time in conference rooms and at each others desks huddled together to problem solve and try to make sure in everything we did we kept students as our focus.
In between all of the work, we became friends. Friends who brought different upbringings, work history, beliefs and lives to the table. One thing we had in common, we all love dogs. 🙂 These were friends who recognized when you weren’t treated fairly and acknowledged it, even if no one else did. We also recognized great accomplishments amongst each other and celebrated one another, even if no one else did. Friends who could be vulnerable with one another. I know this is rare with work friends. And, I don’t take it for granted.
Oftentimes you find that people you work with are one person at the office and someone else away from the office. I always strive to be the same person, no matter who I am around, or what environment I’m in. It is important to me that my character remains consistent. I’ve been burned by work “friends” and so I am cautious, but I still want to be me and love the people I with work well with on a daily basis. I am a student of others. I want to learn from their experiences and I am intentional to listen to them. And, to #doitagain. To know where there are things in my own heart I need to change. Where my vision needs to be widened. Where I have failed others in the past because of my lack of knowledge, empathy and sympathy.
Thankfully, these girls have been those friends to me. They have allowed me to learn so much from them. I’m forever grateful. I knew we were good friends when we laughed about them not being huggers, but they all walked me out of work on my last day, for one more hug in the parking lot with tears in all of our eyes.
Here’s to continuing to learn.
To keeping an open mind and heart when everyone isn’t just like me.
And, to #doitagain.
I’m better for it.
And, grateful for the ones who teach me.
If you’re just joining in from #write31days, I’m so glad you’re here!
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