Be A Dragonfly!

It is an absolute bonus to make friends out of colleagues. ~ Jennifer Aniston

Tonight was another 50th birthday party. I have lost count but I am sure that in the end I will get close to 50 small parties. Tonight was a small gathering to celebrate not only my birthday but also the imminent departure of a friend and former colleague who is retiring and returning to the Rock.

I think we started laughing even before we were together. I arrived at the hotel to hook up with the others and got into the elevator to go up to the room and the elevator did not go anywhere. I did not panic though. Instead I sent a text message: I think I am stuck in the elevator. The reply: You need a card. I’ll come get you. Lol.

Then there was the comedy of errors in trying to get cards and gifts organized while maintaining some element of surprise while the other person is supposed to not know that it is now their card that is trying to secretly be signed. I got beautiful gifts tonight: a stunning purple orchid in a purple pot and a cool little dragonfly “thingie” as it is officially called.

The Dragonfly came with a poem by Lynn Settee:

Oh Dragonfly….
is born in the water
and lives in the sky,
a wonder of nature
the Dragonfly.

ADAPT – CHANGE – GROW

but never forget where you came from,
just like…the Dragonfly….

I look at these women and see that they embody these words. We have all adapted, changed, and grown. We do not forget where we have come from, either professionally or personally. That is why we are friends, not just colleagues.

There was a moment of emotion at the table as one of the women shared her memory of me coming on to the team. She thought, who is this chick? Not a first great impression I take it. She continued on to say that I went from colleague to mentor and also related a story of how she had a career-changing moment because of me. With all three of these women, I have had poignant moments on the journey through their lives, not just their careers. They have been friends and that indeed is an absolute bonus.

We put a kibosh on work-related conversation once inside the restaurant but I recounted one funny story that had happened that afternoon, when I learned a new sign ”Whatever; I love you” pictured here.

Maybe that is why we have moved to that bonus stage of our relationship, because we can roll our eyes at our imperfections, remember where we have come from, and know that we can adapt, change, grow, and say with a smile and sincerity, “Whatever….I love you!”


Peace,

Suzanne