The last few weeks have been hard. My day job has been very stressful.
I will be the first to tell you that my day job is not my passion. It’s not what I went to school for. It’s not what I’d planned on doing. But, life has a funny way of steering you into things that were not even in the picture. At the time, this is the job that I needed. Fast forward, here we are, over 20 years later and I’m still there.
The job comes with a lot of stress and at the end of the day, there are only a handful of people who truly understand the extent of what I do. There are days that I feel the cliche of a “soul sucking” job, BUT it is not all bad. I wouldn’t have stayed if it was.
I met my best friend there. I also get to work with some incredible, genuine, kind hearted, generous people. In the 20+ years I have been there, I have had the privilege and honor to be part of a group of women who have supported each other through the ups and downs of worklife, but also through the ups and down of our personal life. We’re all moms and daughters, some of us wives, and with those roles come other demands.
My work friends are like family. A sisterhood. And for that I am eternally grateful. I don’t think I would have made it through my 20+ years if it wasn’t for them. We’ve lifted each other up through sorrows and pain. We’ve laughed together. We’ve vented our frustrations to each other. We’ve rallied around each other. And we’ve cheered each other on. Sometimes, it takes my breath away when I watch these women in action and then to remember, that I am considered a friend. It pulls on my heart strings in the best ways.
International Women’s Day was on March 8 this year. When I think about the women in my life, I was blessed with a force of light for a mother. My mother-in-law was an angel. And my women friends are incredible, amazing people. I feel truly blessed and grateful to have them as part of my support system.
When I don’t feel I can stand, the women in my life have been there to hold me up.
Let’s celebrate each other. Let’s lift each other up. International Women’s Day is everyday.
Featured photo by Patrick Shaun on Unsplash
