This is the first in my annual Will Blog for Charity series. If you enjoy reading, I hope you'll make a $5 or $10 donation (or more!) to the charity walk I'm doing!
I kind of jetted off to Mexico without explanation, yes? It was an all-expenses-paid trip from my job, because I won the Presidential Award of Honor for 2014. Here's my fancy crystal eagle award as proof:
I didn't mention the award until now, because I won it the morning my grandfather died. I went to the company meeting that morning at 8, knowing that at 11 I'd be at the hospital to say a final goodbye. I had no idea I was even in the running for any award, but graciously accepted it, and gave a short but (hopefully) humorous speech. I talked about how HR is tough because "no one likes HR, but if it's not a good time, it's a good story, so thanks for all the good stories." People laughed and smiled.
After various awards were handed out, I had to present several times during the meeting, which meant sitting in front of the whole company for an hour, looking composed and happy. I held the eagle in my hands, thinking about how my grandfather had more than once (wisely) counseled me to spend more time with the people who were important to me, and stop being the Company Girl. Now I had a Company Girl award. I have a lot of Company Girl awards. What was I doing?
But it was also an eagle--the awards are all different, and this was the only one with an eagle. Fitting for the granddaughter of a WWII vet. The month before, my dad penned a blog entry about my grandfather entitled Admiration for an Old Eagle. I thought about how much I admired my Old Eagle. How during one of our last conversations (and we knew it was one of our last conversations), we had talked about how proud we were of each other.
So I put the eagle in my office, and last week, I went to Mexico (symbol on the flag: eagle). I turned off work e-mail, and I spent it with Chris, the person who is most important to me. I took time to actually relax and not be the Company Girl, even though I was on the company dime.
I looked out on the ocean, one of the two my grandfather traversed to serve the country during the war. And I hoped--actually, I knew--the at the Old Eagle had taught the Company Girl a thing or two.
____________________________________________
I kind of jetted off to Mexico without explanation, yes? It was an all-expenses-paid trip from my job, because I won the Presidential Award of Honor for 2014. Here's my fancy crystal eagle award as proof:
I didn't mention the award until now, because I won it the morning my grandfather died. I went to the company meeting that morning at 8, knowing that at 11 I'd be at the hospital to say a final goodbye. I had no idea I was even in the running for any award, but graciously accepted it, and gave a short but (hopefully) humorous speech. I talked about how HR is tough because "no one likes HR, but if it's not a good time, it's a good story, so thanks for all the good stories." People laughed and smiled.
After various awards were handed out, I had to present several times during the meeting, which meant sitting in front of the whole company for an hour, looking composed and happy. I held the eagle in my hands, thinking about how my grandfather had more than once (wisely) counseled me to spend more time with the people who were important to me, and stop being the Company Girl. Now I had a Company Girl award. I have a lot of Company Girl awards. What was I doing?
But it was also an eagle--the awards are all different, and this was the only one with an eagle. Fitting for the granddaughter of a WWII vet. The month before, my dad penned a blog entry about my grandfather entitled Admiration for an Old Eagle. I thought about how much I admired my Old Eagle. How during one of our last conversations (and we knew it was one of our last conversations), we had talked about how proud we were of each other.
So I put the eagle in my office, and last week, I went to Mexico (symbol on the flag: eagle). I turned off work e-mail, and I spent it with Chris, the person who is most important to me. I took time to actually relax and not be the Company Girl, even though I was on the company dime.