This has been a good day. On good days it is easy to be grateful; one need only look around, without even breaking a proverbial sweat, to find numerous things about which one can be grateful. Other than the alarm ringing too early this morning and my starting my blog a little later than I’d planned this evening, I can say that overall it has been a good day. I was reminded earlier that I work with a number of really good people. My coworkers are thoughtful, passionate about their work, creative and energetic among many other attributes. As is the case whenever and wherever you have humans involved in any endeavor, there are the occasional misunderstandings and challenges that confront people in relationships of all kinds. I’m sure our workplace is unexceptional in that regard. But today, as in weeks past, I’ve so appreciated my colleagues’ willingness to come together around a table to think and plan and engage with one another in dialogue around various issues.
Some people have said to me that I am in the “honeymoon” phase at work and that of course with less than two months on the job everything is going to move along swimmingly. The implication, of course, is that eventually the positivity and the novelty of being the new person will wear off and…well, I’m not sure what happens “when the honey runs out and the moon goes down,” but whatever it is isn’t good. I’ve pretty well decided to buck that particular belief. These days my mode is to approach life, as best I can, with a sense of optimism and with the highest good intended for everyone I encounter over the course of the day, even those with whom I have difficulties or by whom I feel most challenged. I haven’t run into anyone who really falls into that category as yet. While my hope would be to maintain good relationships with everyone I encounter, I recognize that this isn’t terribly realistic. Nonetheless, it is something to strive toward just in case I might actually accomplish it.
In addition to having a good day at work, I had a number of very sweet encounters with family today, beginning with a text message from one of my sisters telling me that she loved me and that I will always have a special place in her heart. It was an unexpected note, popping up on my phone unsolicited, and brought such a warm feeling and put a big smile on my face. Shortly thereafter my daughter called me. She seemed surprised when I answered the phone; she’d expected to get my voicemail as she was calling in the middle of the work day. “I just called to say, ‘I love you.'” she sang to me from the other end of the phone. My big smile came back. And later, after a long day at work to receive a phone call from my son for the second time in the last few days was the cherry on top.
There can be no better gift, no greater blessing than to know and be told that you are loved. Being told makes the knowing doubly sweet. It takes all the guesswork out of it. Today I received the message loud and clear from multiple directions, not solely from family, that “yes, you are loved and appreciated.” I am grateful beyond measure for that. I know it sounds corny, but I wholeheartedly believe that the world really does need “love, sweet love.” And yes, it is “the only thing that there’s just too little of…”
As I’ve gotten older I think perhaps that I have fewer doubts about a lot of things. If there is one thing about which I have no doubt it is that I am loved. I won’t put any qualifiers on it; too often the fact that we are loved by someone isn’t good enough if they are not the someone we want to love us. Given that there are people in this world who feel as though no one loves them, I am grateful to be surrounded by love from all the places I receive it. As best I can, when I walk through the world I send love out to the people around me. I try to live my life with my arms wide open. At times I fail miserably, but if I set the intention to bring more love into the world, it is far better to try and fall short than it is to not try at all. I figure every little bit helps. And if in fact I succeed, even in small ways on a small scale, the world is nonetheless that much better. And that is a good thing.
