Saturday, July 14, 2007

Two Pleasant Things . . .

. . . at the end of a hard week.

Before I get into that, though, I want to update you once more on little Feisty. She had a recheck at the doctor's office yesterday afternoon. Her urine is clear, her temp is normal. She had ecoli bacteria in her blood. The doctor wants to send her Children's Hospital in Denver for two major tests. I asked many questions, but stilll do not quite understand why he thinks this is necessary. I would like for Kristen and Mike to get a second opinion before doing something so drastic. But maybe it's necessary. At least they need to call him and get it first hand. But for now, she's doing great and is doing what she needs to do in the potty, because she doesn't want any more shots!

The first really pleasant thing happened right there at the check-in desk of the clinic. I was talking to the receptionist, checking Feisty in, telling her about the emergency room trip that had happened since she was there two days earlier. Suddenly she pulled out a piece of paper and asked me to give it to Kristen to fill out - it was permission for me, or anyone else they wanted to give permission, to be able to officially bring the kids in for treatment. It seems as though she thought I was their MOM until one of the kids hollered "Grandma." She suddenly realized I needed to have this permission. The nice thing was when she said that she never dreamed I was there grandma, because I looked so young. Well, thanks!! So much! Now do you think maybe you should go get your glasses checked??

The other one was equally nice. I've been in my job for almost 14 years. For the first 9 of those years I was assistant to the department head, as well as what I do now, MSW Program Coordinator. When I went to half time to take care of the kids, I kept the grad student piece and gave up job of assistant to the new department head.

My boss for those 9 years was a wonderful, easygoing, kind man named Ben. He was almost retirement age when we began our adventure together. He retired about 5 years ago, but he still is in and out of the office because of his work with Human Animal Bond in Colorado, which was begun by him and his wife.

Ben was so great to work for. He would ask me to do something, give me the space and time to do it, and then be very grateful and appreciative when it was completed - he knew he could trust me to do it well without a lot of micromanagement. (You can read between the lines that this is one of the reasons I kept the part of my job that I did and gave up the other part two years after he retired).

When Ben left his position, he asked me, "Now who in the world is going to make my grant proposals look good?" I assured him that I would still be glad to help him.

Ben had impossible-to-read handwriting. Everybody came to me to ask what he said when he wrote a note to them. I could actually read it after awhile - and still can.

Well, I said all that to say this. Day before yesterday I got an e-mail from him asking me if I knew what dates we had accomplished two particular tasks while he was there. It so happens that I kept the Word folder with a lot of his documents, just in case. I sent him several documents that I thought would cover the questions. Last night when I checked my messages from home, here is what he wrote back to me:

Dawn: First, thanks much! You have been, and are, my very best administrative staff member; and I've had quite a few between California Youth Authority, San Diego Children's Home, San Diego State University, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, and (where I worked with him). . .

Wow! It just made me miss him all the more!

What a nice way to end the week.


16 comments:

Judith said...

What a beautiful compliment. We should give them and get them more often, but then, maybe it's their rarity that makes them so special. I'm sure he appreicates all that you've done, and still do, especially the handwriting deciphering. Freedom

Linda said...

Isn't it amazing what a kind word can do for the spirit? That was a wonderful compliment from your old boss. I am sure he appreciated you just as much as you appreciated him.
And as for the other compliment - I'm sure she has perfectly good eye-sight and meant every word of it!!
So glad little Feisty is doing well. I'll be praying about the tests.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

I emailed you about Feisty....

A kind word fitly spoken is like apples of gold, hmm?

I'll be honest with you, I have to work at giving compliments and being encouraging. It doesn't come easily to me and I have to consciously make myself aware of opportunities to bless other people that way. I think one reason I'm that way is that sometimes it's hard for me to accept compliments.

But it does make you feel good when you know someone is offering sincere praise and acknowledgment of a job well done.

You may not believe this, but when I was 16 I took my sister Cecil, (who is only a year and a half younger than me) and my three nieces, at that time aged 13, 10 and 6, trick or treating at Halloween. At two different houses people called me their Mom!

Now, I've always looked mature (old!) for my age, but that was ridiculous!

Now that I've hogged your comments section, I'll wish you a wonderful and blessed weekend, you hardworking, efficient, young Grandma, you!! LOL! ;o)

Love and hugs,

Diane

Barb said...

How nice, Dawn. It's a shame more people don't take time to say something nice to the people who work for them. I know it always made my day when it happened to me. Just made me want to work all that much harder.

You'll have to keep us posted on that trip to Denver for tests.

Lala's world said...

those are nice compliments for sure! glad Fiesty is better, I was thinking about Kristen today actually, so tell her the Holy Spirit is telling people all over the world to pray for her, His love is never ending and ever reaching!
bless you!

Nancy said...

I can not wait to get back and read every single word that I have missed. One more week and I will be back to my blogging friends that I have missed so much. I am having a great time with Katherine, friends, family and the stress level has been pretty low lately. I want to soak it all in and enjoy every single moment. Thanks for being patient with me... I will be back in another week.

Susie said...

Lovely compliments and I'm sure they just made your day!
Glad to hear Fiesty is back to herself. That ecoli sounds a bit worrisome. Let us know how it goes with the testing.
xo

Chris said...

So glad to hear Fiesty is doing better. The tests may be necessary to make sure there are not other problems. I will continue to pray for her

Sue Seibert said...

What wonderful compliments! So glad to hear Fiesty is better! I agree...they need a second opinion.

Cheryl said...

Glad she is okay...miss Kristin.

Tammy said...

First of all, glad for the positive update on Feisty! I will continue to keep her in my prayers about the ecoli and testing, but so glad to hear she is back to her sweet self.

And what great compliments! :D I don't think any of us receive enough compliments in this life, so when you get two in one week, that is wonderful!
(You must be using some great moisturizer, Dawn...let us in on your secret...) ;)

Midlife Mom said...

Great compliment Dawn!! Isn't it nice to get such a pick me up kind of comment! All's I am getting lately is my doctor's saying, "well, at your age you have to expect this..." grrrrrrr..... I have been catching up on all your posts about little Fiesty and am soooooo glad that she is feeling better. That is so hard when they are sick, you just want to be sick for them so that they don't have to go through it. Let us all know about the further tests so we can be praying!

Sharon Lynne said...

How nice to feel appreciated. (And to look young enough to have little children!)

It makes me think that I need to give compliments more often. It can really a change a person's day!

Glad Feisty is doing so much better. A prayer will go up for a good decision about the tests.

Jada's Gigi said...

So glad your little one is much better! and how lovely to have some nice compliments along the way..certainly makes for a nicer week...as for the good boss...I could paraphrase scripture for that one...cause I feel just the same..."a good job environment/boss is rather to be chosen that great riches or fame"..Amen!
Hope your trip is fun!

Looney Mom™ said...

Oh geesh. I've just been missing so much with my blog friends. I'm so sorry. I'm glad she's doing better. What a scare!!

I tweaked my blog a bit. Let me know if it's still being a pain ok -- when you get a chance? Love ya!

Grafted Branch said...

That was so wonderful of him to say. It doesn't take much, does it.

Now...be sure to pay it forward to someone else on your staff who could use a sincere encoraging word.