Feeling seen

About four years ago, I finished my graduate program. I was three months into my new job. My house had major construction that resulted in water damage, and we were about to go live in a hotel until just before Christmas. It was a stressful time. I took public transit to go pick up my diploma, and carried it home in the rain in a plastic bag. Yay.

Well, Kim and Frank — my managers, co-leading “Team Krank”— not only noticed and congratulated me on my graduation, they got me a card, a gift, and a little office party with cake. I felt seen. In the midst of my stress, I felt like my team recognized the accomplishment and celebrated it with me.

Fast forward a while, and we’re leaving one office building for another, in the midst of a pandemic. My colleague Dan was going into the office to pick up what he had left there when we all started working from home. He reached out to ask if he could grab anything for me.

Yes, please — that card.

I’d hung it at my desk, its sparkly “YAY!” a cheery reminder that I was among people who cared about each other.

Then just last week, Dan met up with me in the office to say hello and give me the card he’d rescued for me more than a year prior.

He and I are on different teams now, Kim and Frank have moved on, but that sparkly “YAY!” still reminds me that everyone around me is going through something, whether a source of stress or a reason for celebrating. And that we can all reach out to look after each other.

Thanks Kim, Frank, Dan, and everyone from Team Krank.