What was my mission?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFRxDmet-Lo

Here's a little video walk down memory lane. I was temping for a healthcare company and looking for a full-time gig, when my fingers did the walking through monster.com and landed on a listing for a copywriter at Pleasant Holidays. In seconds I was typing, "Dear dream job..." and before I knew it, there I was in the travel buz learning about Hawaii, Mexico, Tahiti, Asia, Australia, Fiji and New Zealand.

The company had just embraced a new mission statement and there was a contest for how to exemplify the new mission. The words "we're on a mission" popped into my head. I heard the sound of a jet in my mind, which reminded me of the Beatles' "Back in the USSR." Then I started playing with words that rhymed with "mission." Wow -- so many -- vision, expedition, competition...and the lyrics just fell out. Bob got the groove going and produced one heck of a song -- I'm never sure where my part ends and his part begins, which is a larger analogy for another time. He played all those instruments. Love the guitar solo -- go Bob! And yes that's me singing. I wanted the song to be a department project, not a solo entry, so my coworkers jumped in, took photos and created a slide show. The big "earth ball" was ours -- a gift to Bob from Donnelle -- and it was a fun photo prop since the company was known mainly for Hawaii travel, and was expanding to "take on the world."

Our little department won the contest and two air tickets to Hawaii. A lot of the folks in the video are not with the company anymore. It wasn't long after the video that the travel industry suffered the economic effects of 2008 and 2009. A new CEO came, layoffs ensued, and the magic was gone. This little memory of the "calm before the storm" will always be special to me, as I hope it is to all who were a part of it.

Uncover and Recover

Now here's my idea of holiday wrapping! And I'll take sunshine over snow any day. I heard the other day that the holidays magnify the emotions you go through. If your life is in a happy place, the holidays uplevel your bliss. If you're on one of the downs of life, the holidays can make you feel worse. No use to candy coat it. This year contained two very painful losses for me -- the loss of my longtime friend Cece to cancer, and the loss of my job. I guess they are very different losses, in that leaving the job was my choice. And you can't compare a person to a job. But pain and sadness just are what they are. Loss leaves a void. Change is disorienting. And it's easy to feel like I've lost part of who I am at times.

How appropriate that these feelings correspond with winter. The leaves have fallen off the trees. Grass has died or gone dormant. Nature has released life in certain forms to replace it with new life in the spring. And the spring will come. New people come into families. Kids get married. Babies are born. And new opportunities have room to root where something old has been removed. No one can replace Cece. However, other friends come along side and offer their shoulders, company, prayers and understanding. They remind me that I have a long track record of being who I am, and I'm still me.

Loss and sadness open the door for people to care for you. Not that I recommend it as a strategy. But I see the beauty in people comforting one another. You're only alone if you allow it. The world is rich with people who care. Just don't keep your heart wrapped up too tight. A little exposure of its emotions in all their colors allows you to connect and experience the beauty of being loved on. Thanks to all who responded warmly when I let my cover-up slip a bit. I guess I got my favorite gift for Christmas -- Love.