[2022-06-25] Dusting day
Today's list of chores included dusting, which was not just about cleaning but also about appreciating the various mementos I've acquired in recent years.
When I packed up my office last fall, I brought home several inspirational rocks, pins and coasters. I had kept these on my desk or meeting table or window sill to motivate me to live my values or to remind me of things that were important to me.
My favourite of the bunch was my Kindness Matters rock. It was a literal and figurative touchstone that I contemplated frequently and would sometimes take to meetings. I wasn't always kind to others, but I tried hard. And others weren't always kind to me, but I did my best not to pass their rudeness and disrespect on to others, especially my staff.
My Gratitude, Inspire and Balance rocks represented what I knew myself to be (grateful), what I hoped I was to others (inspirational) and what I aspired to become (balanced). Post-cancer and post-retirement, I think I've finally lived up to the sentiments expressed on all three rocks. I have gratitude for modern medicine, for the healthcare professionals who treated me and continue to do so, for the family and friends who support me, for the many colleagues I befriended over the course of my career and who remain part of my life, and for the great number of readers of this blog who cheer me on. I know that I inspire others, hearing almost every day what the simple act of sharing my story means to them. And I feel balanced for the first time in a long time.
The two buttons Blessed and Awesome were part of the Not Myself Today workplace mental health program of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Among the activities this program supported was buttons displaying one of many different words that employees could wear to represent how they were feeling, such as Stressed, Anxious or Hopeful. On different occasions, I chose the words Blessed (I felt so lucky to have the excellent support of my employees) and Awesome (I used this word a lot and still do).
The Love coaster took me back to the day when my director and I organized a tile-decorating activity for our team. We spent an hour together in a boardroom painting tiles; I chose to focus on love. It was one of the most relaxing activities I had ever done in the workplace, next to getting a massage, which was another activity my director and I arranged for our employees. Like kindness, love is something I strive to model every day, but it takes continual effort.
Dusting day is a great opportunity to pause and reminisce as we consider the stuff we've accumulated and the stories behind them. It's also an opportunity to share those stories with our loved ones.
