Life, Interrupted
It's always interesting to m that the moment things seem to get into a pattern, life comes along and smacks you upside the head with something.
So, last Wednesday I was in the middle of a training session, and I get called into the office of the supervisor for the training program I am going through right now (she also happens to be my leader in my normal role as well. She pulls me aside to take me to my best friend/sister who works down the hall -- I walk in to find her crying, and about a zillion thoughts run through my head in the two seconds before she started talking. The two on the top of my mind were something has happened to her sister, who was in Russia, or her mother, who is in her 60's and currently at home alone while said sister was abroad.
She alleviated those fears rather quickly by letting me know her mom just called and let her know her grandfather had died the night before. So, of course, we had to go home. Immediately.
Now, I know I work with awesome people. Really, I do. But my boss further proved her awesomeness last Wednesday. She took me back to her office, told me that if she felt I was being pressured to leave that she could step in for me, but if I really wanted to go I could and she would work it out on her end as far as the training was concerned. Not only that, but she made sure that I was able to use bereavement pay for the three days I was going to miss, even though technically I was not directly related to the deceased. She said we would talk about the missed training on my return, and we would work it out to get it rescheduled (because I was REALLY looking forward to the stuff I was going to miss), but that my first priority was to be there for my family.
Now, as I said, I am of no direct relation to my best friend. However, when I said "best friend/sister" earlier, it couldn't have been closer to the truth. She and her mother and sister have supported me financially, emotionally, and just about every other way you can think of for the last eight years. Her mom gave me a place to live throughout college, never questioned my career path, and was completely supportive of me in everything I did. There was no way I was going to turn my back on her when her father had passed away.
So we spent Wednesday driving the eight hours between Orlando and Rome, Georgia, then spent Thursday with her mom and trying to see if her sister was going to be able to get an emergency flight back to the US from Russia for the service on Saturday. I drove with her mom to Huntsville, Alabama Thursday night to go meet her brother and sister-in-law at her parents' house, and we spent Friday and Saturday cleaning out the house, attending the service, etc. All those things you have to do. It was the first time in ten years all the grandkids had been in the same room together, so I guess that was some consolation.
So we drove back to Orlando Sunday night, and I returned to the leadership training program Monday morning. I try to remain philosophical about missing out on the three days of training that I did, but it still sucks that I didn't get to experience it with my fellow trainees. I can make it up, but I know that it won't be the same without them. But I still have no regrets about the decisions I made last week.
So I'm back in the groove of things now. My show downtown closes this weekend (so sad!) so I am about to gain back four nights a week for myself (so glad!). And we're moving this weekend (ack!), or at least attempting to move as much as we can this weekend, so when my furniture is purchased and arrives in two weeks we will be done. I have a concert for charity to perform in July 21st and 22nd, so those rehearsals are going to take a bit of my time the next two weeks. I love being busy. :)
So, last Wednesday I was in the middle of a training session, and I get called into the office of the supervisor for the training program I am going through right now (she also happens to be my leader in my normal role as well. She pulls me aside to take me to my best friend/sister who works down the hall -- I walk in to find her crying, and about a zillion thoughts run through my head in the two seconds before she started talking. The two on the top of my mind were something has happened to her sister, who was in Russia, or her mother, who is in her 60's and currently at home alone while said sister was abroad.
She alleviated those fears rather quickly by letting me know her mom just called and let her know her grandfather had died the night before. So, of course, we had to go home. Immediately.
Now, I know I work with awesome people. Really, I do. But my boss further proved her awesomeness last Wednesday. She took me back to her office, told me that if she felt I was being pressured to leave that she could step in for me, but if I really wanted to go I could and she would work it out on her end as far as the training was concerned. Not only that, but she made sure that I was able to use bereavement pay for the three days I was going to miss, even though technically I was not directly related to the deceased. She said we would talk about the missed training on my return, and we would work it out to get it rescheduled (because I was REALLY looking forward to the stuff I was going to miss), but that my first priority was to be there for my family.
Now, as I said, I am of no direct relation to my best friend. However, when I said "best friend/sister" earlier, it couldn't have been closer to the truth. She and her mother and sister have supported me financially, emotionally, and just about every other way you can think of for the last eight years. Her mom gave me a place to live throughout college, never questioned my career path, and was completely supportive of me in everything I did. There was no way I was going to turn my back on her when her father had passed away.
So we spent Wednesday driving the eight hours between Orlando and Rome, Georgia, then spent Thursday with her mom and trying to see if her sister was going to be able to get an emergency flight back to the US from Russia for the service on Saturday. I drove with her mom to Huntsville, Alabama Thursday night to go meet her brother and sister-in-law at her parents' house, and we spent Friday and Saturday cleaning out the house, attending the service, etc. All those things you have to do. It was the first time in ten years all the grandkids had been in the same room together, so I guess that was some consolation.
So we drove back to Orlando Sunday night, and I returned to the leadership training program Monday morning. I try to remain philosophical about missing out on the three days of training that I did, but it still sucks that I didn't get to experience it with my fellow trainees. I can make it up, but I know that it won't be the same without them. But I still have no regrets about the decisions I made last week.
So I'm back in the groove of things now. My show downtown closes this weekend (so sad!) so I am about to gain back four nights a week for myself (so glad!). And we're moving this weekend (ack!), or at least attempting to move as much as we can this weekend, so when my furniture is purchased and arrives in two weeks we will be done. I have a concert for charity to perform in July 21st and 22nd, so those rehearsals are going to take a bit of my time the next two weeks. I love being busy. :)