Happy Father’s Day!
Pardon the personalization of the message today, but events in my life dictate that to some extent. This weekend will mark days in my life which reflect two of the four (number 2 and 3 in fact) most absolute greatest blessings in my life…Wedding Anniversary and Father’s Day. Later this year, another milestone and blessing that I rank fourth in my life is the date marking my 25 years of service within Conservation work. Some didn’t think my marriage would last (there will always be nay-sayers) and I’d bet there were a number who didn’t think I would make it very long working here either.
During the entire time I’ve spent preparing for and reflecting on my anniversary, (ok for the past hour…), I got a little sentimental and thought about how blessed I was to have the woman I do and how she has given me (us) the two most precious gifts in the world (our daughters). Certainly not everything in our marriage or in raising our children can be characterized as being “easy”…but I can honestly tell you it is worth the effort. I spent some time thinking about how long we’ve been married (23yrs, yes Dear, I remembered), but even more…how long we’ve known each other…how long we’ve shared similar thoughts, ideas, beliefs… We were exposed to one another at a relatively young age and have shared common habitat (Stover) and proceeded along similar directions (HS->College->Profession…etc). We have worked very hard to try to be successful in everything we do…we are willing to put forth the effort because we believe the mission! I do what I can to make her better…to compliment her life…to show her—that she made the right choice!
Perhaps it’s the ADD or can be attributed to my ADHD, it’s your call…but during my reflections, I thought of some similarities between my “personal” life and my professional one. It occurred to me…that the similarities were great. The core principles were the same. I haven’t known “Conservation” my entire life, but we were exposed to one another at a relatively early age… We shared many of the same interests…. We have grown through the past 25 years… We have both become bigger, stronger, more educated… In essence, we both chose each other too. I decided I wanted to work for Conservation and they in turn decided I was worth the time also.
There have been some bumps in the road for both of “us”…it’s not always been easy. But we are both committed to ensuring success and that my friends’ is what sets “us” apart from the average run of the mill situation. The commitment—the dedication—the desire to do what it take. Both, I think, understanding that there will be some rough times but both willing to endure those times because we recognize that because of those efforts the outcome will be beneficial. Certainly a lot of similarities between my marriage and my work….
I wonder how many of you view your work in that respect. Do you consider it a commitment? Are you willing to “do what it takes” to strengthen that relationship. Do you care enough about what you do and who you work for to put forth that extra effort?
My thinking about my personal life AND my professional one is that if it’s worth doing it’s worth doing right…. That’s the commitment needed to make ANYTHING a success. Take a look at yourself…evaluate where you are…are you giving it your ALL? If so….you are WELCOME on this bus. If not, figure out why and fix it, because the bus has a schedule and seldom waits for anyone….
No one ever promised me when I joined the Conservation ranks that it would be easy, but it was obvious to me that there were many rewards awaiting, if I chose to invest the time and the effort…..hmmmm kind of like---marriage and children….
TAFN
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