wldunn13

I’ve spent years speeding along the highways to and from work, always missing out on taking the slow way home. So what if it takes a few extra minutes? There’s so much that I’ve missed by not doing so. One can never tell what experiences might find their way into his path…why speed through it?

Working in the health care industry is stressful, especially when you are the IT guy. I find myself the center of attention in the office, and indeed the company’s entire northeastern region. It’s difficult to find the time or will to smile during the day, but starting today, I’ve decided to do so. In addition, I’ve decided to share the joy of smiling with someone every day.

I visited with one of our customer service ladies today, addressing a problem she was having with her email client. It was evident that the demands of the day had worn her down, as I clicked away at her server settings. Having fixed the problem, I told her she would need to log off for about 15 minutes, which of course was untrue. I invited her to have a seat in my office, made her an espresso and handed her a small square of dark chocolate. We talked about the stressful day she was having while she happily munched on the chocolate. She explained that it felt good to get the burden off her chest, then I explained that her computer was in fact ready about 10 minutes ago. She smiled, thanked me for listening, and went about the rest of her day. At the end of the day, I got an email from her claiming to demonstrate the effectiveness of my work on her computer, but it was really to tell me that I brightened up her day.

I left work in a great mood, instead of the usual exhaustion. It felt great to have made someone smile today. This could get addicting…

I hung up the phone, realizing that I had forgotten to tell my own mother that I love her. I know, it’s silly. We get older, and it’s just assumed on a subconscious level that we do love our parents, or siblings, or significant other. There’s no need to say it…right?

But what if that was our last conversation? What if she was having a terrible day? Three words could have made such a difference to either or both of us. It really takes no effort at all, and sometimes the people we love just need to hear it. If it brightens up the day for one of them, then it’s definitely worth it to me.