The Week’s Lessons…
It’s a short blog this week as I’m worn out! My mom and sister came to help me empty, sort, and clean my shed. What a ton of work it was! My mom makes it seem easy with her ability to organize the work while rolling up her sleeves and diving in. I’m getting ready for some changes in my yard and the shed had to be done this summer. Sorting an area is a great task to take on. It makes you consider what’s important to keep and what can be given away or, if no longer of use, thrown away. Fortunately, we found a way to recycle more than dump.
Anyway, that was one of my biggest lessons. Ask for help when needed. So often I’m the type that wants to take it all on alone. I almost didn’t ask for help. I don’t know what made me ask but I’m so thrilled that I did and incredibly grateful that they took the time and the energy to come. My large shed would have taken at least a couple of weekends for me to do by myself. With my mom and sister’s help, we had it completely emptied in three hours. Another couple of hours and everything had been washed, sorted, re-stored where appropriate and trashed, if required. We did a drop-off at the dump and my sister took pictures of all the remaining items to be given away or sold. In fact, a lot of that stuff has already been picked up!
In addition to the help, I had a lovely visit. We relaxed on my porch, had a great dinner at the pub, and spent some time laughing over all of my wildlife! That’s the second lesson. As much as I enjoy my own company, I need to stay connected with people, especially family. It’s very easy for me to get snuggled into my house and not venture out into the world. This weekend has been a good reminder that there is more to life than my little world.
Lesson three? Well, it’s related to sports. I’ve always been pretty honest about my love of Canadian football and yet, I have a small piece inside of me that is a little embarrassed by that love. Maybe it seems a little too focussed. Or maybe because I keep believing in my team (there have been a lot of losing seasons) I seem a little naive. On Friday night we had a home game. I drive into the city (almost an hour), get on a shuttle to the stadium, get myself a hotdog for my supper treat, and sit in my season ticket seat. I’ve gotten to know my other season ticket seat mates a little bit and we greet each other and chat. I’m the only one on my own. A voice in my head thinks maybe it looks a little sad. Well, on Friday night I got a few texts and calls from friends who were also at the game. So, I made my way down to say hi and visit for a few minutes. Don’t get me wrong. It was great to see them and say hello but I’m there to watch the game. I missed points being scored because I was doing something other than watching the game. I learned that I’m over that “oh I look weird going on my own and sitting alone”. I’m over the slight shrug of “I love my REDBLACKS”. I pay to go see every home game. I get excited over my team. I rearrange my schedule to attend games. I love the game and I love supporting my team. It’s about time I stop feeling that I have to downplay that side of me.
My company offers retirement preparation. I’m in the process of working my way through a webinar before looking at the other resources offered. My mother told me how she loved her final year as a principal. She said she really went out on a high note. Lately I haven’t been feeling like that’s possible. I’ve been thinking about how she described her final time as a principal and I’ve realized that it’s in my hands to end on a positive. I have some amazing friends from work. I probably wouldn’t have met them without the job. I have an incredible team and I enjoy all that they bring to each day. I’m participating in projects and work that will change the face of our role in the industry. I have learned tons on the job and continue to discover new people and grow my network. All in all, it’s been a great twenty-four plus years. Lesson four is learning that I steer the way to my retirement. I am going to ensure I enjoy my last months, before moving on to new adventures.
As I think I’ve mentioned I decided to engage in counselling. A person I admire greatly pointed out that we’re pretty quick to consider taking care of our physical health and rather hesitant when it comes to our mental. She’s right and I’m glad of my choice. At different times in our lives we encounter different types of challenges. In my earlier years, I pretty much powered through them. Now, with a whole new world on my horizon I’ve recognized that I’d better be fully prepared. Part of that preparation is counselling. What I learned about myself in this past week’s session is I’ve created an identity that is tied too tightly to a job. I’m so much more than that. I’m a mom, a daughter, a sister, a friend. I’m smart, ambitious, thoughtful, and kind. I care about this world and the people in it. I work hard to be open to diversity and inclusion matters to me. I am not a pay cheque. I am not only what I do for that pay cheque. I will always have a part of me that identifies to the operational role I held for the majority of my company time. But there is just so much more to me. I love cheering for the underdog and debating both sides of an issue. I am hard working. I am still learning and growing. I am complex. I am a writer. I am me.
I have two chipmunks in my yard and they are highly entertaining!
I managed to get a little more digging done this afternoon. I’m ready to order the crushed gravel! This is an exciting summer of outdoor work.