Pulling Together

Today is the first day of school for most districts in my county. The department of education seems to be one of the most disorganized I have ever seen. Last spring, my daughter in law was laid off. Her job title was eliminated. Over the summer she did not hear from her school district. Yesterday afternoon, at 2:15pm they called her and asked her back. She needed to let them know by 3pm. She called me and asked if I could watch the baby for 1 hour a day. I agreed to that and then she called the school to accept the job. She starts this morning. How could a school district not know that an employee was needed until the last second? She had called personnel the previous week and was told there were no jobs. How do they expect a person to rearrange their lives on a moments notice? In her case, the family pulled together. What happens when you do not have a support system?

Feeling Good

Sometimes it takes a small thing to brighten up our day. How many of us have been waiting in line behind someone that has a big order when the manager opens up a new register and says, "Next in line". We feel like we have been victorious, even though we did nothing. How many of us have created a new online account and see the word "strong password"? For some reason we feel good about that, like we have impressed our computer with our intellect. How many times have we "made the light" at a large intersection? We silently say, "Yes!", as we safely pass through. Getting a close parking spot at the mall is like hitting the lottery. It is the small things that count in life. It doesn't always have to be "go big or go home".

Labor Day

It is finally Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Technically, summer ends in late September, but as far as most people are concerned, today is the last day. We define summer by vacations, pools, beaches, picnics and relaxation. This week, teachers return to work. As I sat at the pool yesterday, I heard my friends lament about "going back" to work. I interrupted and said, "Imagine how I feel. I never left". They all looked at me and shook their heads. While they slept late, I went to work. While they lounged around, I went to work. While they took walks, I sat in traffic. Considering they had 10 weeks off, they shouldn't complain. They always back up their complaints with the theory that being around children is hard work. I work with adults and that is no walk in the park either. Every job is work. Most do not only require you to be there about 100 days a year. So, pack away the white shoes and pants, take a deep breath and start a new semester.

What's In Your Wallet?

Our wallet is our life. It carries information that tells the world about us. It holds our identity. It holds our medical plans. It holds our finances, in both cash and credit. It holds our family pictures. When we know where it is, we are secure. When we lose it, we are devastated. This morning I was cleaning out my pool bag. I do this at the end of each summer and start fresh the next year. As I got to the bottom of the bag, I saw a wallet. It was not mine. I opened it up and saw that it belonged to a friend. It seems that he must have thrown it into my bag yesterday, thinking he was putting it into his wife's bag. It was 7am and I pondered how early I should call their house. I could just imagine the moment when he realized it was missing. Feeling that sinking pit in his stomach, knowing that he would need to cancel credit cards and have his driver's license reissued. I waited until 7:45am to place the call. It seems he never even knew it was missing. Crisis averted.

Quotes

I love quotes. I use them when I lecture. Sometimes, one quote speaks paragraphs. I find it amazing that some of the quotes I use the most, were said a few hundred years ago. It shows that human behavior has not really changed that much. We may have more technology, but what is hard wired into our soul is the same as it was when we were created. When I hear a quote that means something to me, I write it down and look at it often. This morning I am sharing two that I find very meaningful:

• People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. -Maya Angelou
• The first great rule in life is to put up with things; the second is to refuse to put up with things; and the third, and hardest, is to be able to distinguish between the first two. - Sydney J. Harris

It Is What It Is

There is a saying, "It is what it is". I have added a few words to it. I say, "It is what it is and you just move on". The moving on part is important. I mean that whatever the situation is, if you dwell on it, you will never get past it. Nothing is forever, not even our problems. Just as good times do not last, neither do bad times. Sometimes we just need to ride the wave until we get to the shore. In the end, there is always solid ground.

Winding Down

I woke up this morning to a grey sky. It almost looks like winter. If I did not see the thermometer hanging on my backyard tree, reading 70 degrees, I would think it was winter. The summer is winding down. This is the last day I go to work before Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. I am looking forward to Autumn. I am ready to put the summer of 2013 behind me.