Work/Death Balance

After leaving Long Beach, I had to make a quick stop at work before relieving my Mom of Chicken duty.

I had forgotten that I had intended on completing a small project for a senior manager before my vacation was up. Now that I was going to be heading to at least a week of bereavement leave, I KNEW I absolutely HAD to stop in and quickly complete said assignment.

It was late Saturday afternoon when I got to my cubicle. I was hoping that I could avoid detection and not have to talk with anyone. I felt like a downed power line and I didn't want to send my pain through "work friends" right now.

I was just about finished with my assignment when I heard two people from my department heading down the hallway. I was hoping that I stopped typing in time and they would continue right past my cube. Their conversation came to a halt and I looked up to see a couple of people that were very shocked to see me a work.

As much as I was dreading the conversation, it turned out to be okay.

I didn't lose it.

I was able to talk about what has been happening with me.

And there weren't too many awkward-boy-I'm-sorry-your-dad-died-moments.

I ended the conversation so I could get my assignment complete. I saved the file and sent it in an email to the senior manager that I owed it to.

I tried to imagine the senior manager's reaction to seeing an email from me that had so obviously been sent after my father had passed. Sure, it was work that I had committed to...but I don't think anyone would have held it against me if I blew it off given the current situation.

I thought I'd might get at least a "thank you" for doing that.

It's now been two months since I completed this assignment, I'm officially done waiting for the thank you.

VW