Well, here we are once again, another season in the record books. I find myself gathering wool often as each season begins it’s annual transition, wondering what I learned from the season which has just passed. Summer 2013 presented our family with many highs, and certainly some lows. My father, age 91, passed away in August. And no matter how much you brace your heart for the inevitable, when your parent passes on, your world comes to an abrupt and all encompassing halt. Eventually, as it always will, time passes. And with it’s passing, life starts up again, but it’s a very slow, plodding return to the world where everyone else lives. What I learned this summer is that there is much joy in the world, even in the midst of great sorrow. So many clients (and former clients) reached back to me to see what they could do to ease my struggles. It was so much more than a gesture, I knew that all of these wonderful people truly worried for me and wanted to help in any way they could.
So as the season turns once more and I think back, I realize that the greatest lesson I learned is that your life’s work is never just your own. On those days when work seems like just a chore, it’s good to remind yourself of this fact. Even if your life’s work is not ideal (mine is, but I realize that my situation is rare), keep in mind that what you do matters. People who make cardboard boxes – I thank you because I’m using so many right now to pack our home to move. I also thank the people who make packing tape, cleaning products, and pain relievers (as my back hurts from all of this packing). I am grateful for the person who quality checks lightbulbs. I am also grateful for the people who inspect our furnace, and the person who trims our trees so they don’t fall on our house.
And I’m grateful for all of my clients, past and present, who inspire me to do good for others. Each of them has played an integral role in shaping my world and I hope that I tell each of them this fact as often as they deserve to hear it.
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