The Egg

I love analogies. They give good advice in the form of a story that people can relate to. You can see points of view that would have otherwise been overlooked. I love the analogy of an egg to a relationship. The relationship can be with anyone you care about. If you put an egg in the palm of your hand, it is safe. If you hold onto it too tightly, it will crack. If you hold onto it too loosely, it will fall from your hand and break. If you let it sit in your hand calmly, in its natural state, it will be perfect. That is a wonderful lesson for how we treat relationships. 

Look Ahead

Does anyone think ahead? I read a few online articles this morning about people who are in trouble with the law or their employers. It is obvious that they lived in the moment and never thought that what they were doing was not right. I have often been called a worrier, as if it was a bad thing. I have explained that worriers usually don't have to pull themselves out of bad situations. It is the people that think nothing will happen to them that need a shovel to clean up the mess they have made.

Same Eyes, Same Ears, Different Experience

I brought up two good children. They are smart, sensible and have good values. I remember the years but I do not remember the days. The overall experience is in my memory bank but the details have faded. Now that I have grandchildren, I am seeing the details of childhood. My eyes see them playing and learning as each day passes. My ears hear their laughter and astounding thoughts for children their ages. Each week I see such a difference in appearance and demeanor. I guess that I was too busy doing the work of child rearing to notice everything my own children were doing. Now that my children are doing the work, I can reap the benefits.

Credibility

If you lose credibility, nothing you do will be looked at the same. One of my part time receptionists has lost her credibility with me and now we have a problem. I will have to call her into work to have a formal evaluation so I have documentation when I fire her. Years ago I would have just let her go,but nowadays I have to jump through hoops to make sure that I am politically correct, otherwise I look like the wrong one. How sad. The situation revolves around her being late and calling in sick just before her shift begins. The lateness is weekly and only by a few minutes, but if she was catching a train, the few minutes would mean that her ride was gone. Her "ride" is her job. For the past few weeks she has called in sick one half hour before she was to be at work. The first time she said she has an emergency doctor visit. The second time she had a car accident on her way to work. The third time she had to fast for a Hindu holiday and would be at the mandir (temple) all day. I looked up Hindu holidays and I cannot find one for yesterday. Now I am doubting if she had a car accident or if she has a serious illness that led to an emergency doctor visit. Without credibility there can be no trust.

Stand Your Ground

Sometimes it is hard to stand your ground. By doing so you look uncooperative even though you are right. Giving in or swaying to public opinion is the easy way out when a situation has two distinct sides to it. This type of situation is happening at work. We have a patient's family who is telling, not asking, me to bill his account a certain way to get more insurance money back. I will not do what he wants because it is not correct. I like patients to get maximum reimbursements back, but only in an honest way. He is trying to skew codes to fit what he thinks is good for him. My boss is wavering on what to do but I am standing my ground. I will not do what is not 100% true. It is getting to the point that I am looking uncooperative but I do not care. I will not go back and forth with the family through email. If they want to talk, they can call me. I am too smart to write emails that can be twisted. If my boss decides that she will do as they ask, I will log her into the system and have everything done under her name, by her hand. I will not be forced to comply.

Picture Perfect

From the moment I woke up yesterday, I knew the day would be perfect. The sun was as bright is it could be and the cool breeze was delightful. It was a picture perfect day for a wedding. When I arrived at the temple, the atmosphere was energetic. Everyone was there to share the joy of the upcoming marriage. The crowd was glowing as much as the bride was. Every person in the room was there to join in the happiness of a family that deserved nothing less than their best wishes. Seeing my niece being escorted down the aisle by her beaming parents brought tears to my eyes. I could see that the rest of the guests felt the same. The ceremony was meaningful as the bride and groom held hands through the entire service. The party was high energy from the moment we all walked into the room. I guess that is what happens when every guest brings such positivity into the room. I danced more than I ever have and enjoyed a delicious meal. The hours flew by as they always do when you are having fun. As I write this, I am looking at the flowers from the chuppa that were given in bouquets to each guest as they left. I will have fond memories of this day forever. Some days are just picture perfect because that is what they deserve to be.

Wedding

Today is my niece's wedding. It is also her father's birthday. Who would have thought that when my mother in law gave birth to her first child on this date, that child would have the same joy walking his first daughter down the aisle 71 years later. The first date was an unplanned one, but today's date was chosen. It is a testament to family history. It is a beautiful sunny day with perfect temperature. I am looking forward to seeing the beginning of a new wonderful life for my niece and soon to be nephew.