A weekend away

I spent this weekend back in my hometown with family. Some of them, I haven't seen in years and some that I just met for the very first time ever. It warmed my heart and lifted my spirits to be able to sit and talk to these people that I love so much. To be able to hold them in a tight embrace meant so much to me. It felt as though something bad that had been clinging to me for a long time, had just dissolved away.

When it came time to leave, I cried like a baby. I hated that the vacation was so short and I hated the fact that it might be a while before I can make it back to my family. But what I hated most of all was that I was going back to the 'grind'. I had been so free and easy all weekend and in the morning on the day I was leaving, I woke up feeling heavy. I paced around and wrung my hands, and dreaded the thought that the next day I would be sitting in that damn wicker chair.

Then it donned on me; It doesn't matter what happens in that office. What matters is what's outside that office. Even if I got fired tomorrow, even if I made some giant, un-fixable mistake- my family wouldn't care. They wouldn't leave and they wouldn't judge me. I could have any old job and nobody would even think twice about it... so why do I care so much what my boss thinks of me? She's not my family, she doesn't love me unconditionally.

The thought was comforting as I sat in the airport, and though I was sad to leave, I was happy to know that I can take the love of my family with me wherever I go. That feeling stayed with me all through work the next day, and then again the following day (yesterday) and again today. Work was actually not the nightmare that it usually was for me. It was actually quite tollerable. Now, granted, my boss wasn't flying around on her broomstick at all, which probably helped some... but as the day came to a close, I found that I was pretty content with my situation. Everyone has bad days or weeks, but I am so much better off than some people that I need to be thankful for the job that I do have. And I appreciate my boss too, for keeping me around when times were tough. I know she has a good heart, and I don't think as little of her as I probably sound like I do.

All these thoughts swam warmly through my euphoric little brain, as I checked my email one last time and noticed my friend's name in my email inbox. This is the friend, that works for a construction company, who said he would check his contacts to see if anyone was hiring. I hadn't heard from him in a couple weeks, so I read the email:

"I have some leads for you with a great company. Do you have a resume that I can forward?"

HELL YEAH I DO! SCREW THIS PLACE, I'M OUT!