I’m gonna say some good things about the people for whom I work. However, thinking about the nature of my job, I really can’t mention my company by name, but I want to make it clear that I have been really blessed to have fallen into the right place when I began this job back in December.

Let’s start there…

My official start date was December 9 of last year. Immediately, I was invited to the company Christmas party which was planned for Saturday of that week. I was with the company for a total of five days before I was invited to participate in the game at the party which allowed all employees to choose a random number that would then be traded in for cash prizes or gifts as impressive as a 50″ TV.

Again… five days on the job (and, really, I’d only been training/shadowing in that first week) and I was gifted $200 cash.

I’m not saying that you have to give me money I didn’t earn for me to appreciate the company I’m working for, but it doesn’t hurt.

After Christmas, I noticed that there were a lot of little things that make me really enjoy this company. As with any job in the mental health services field, there can be a great deal of stress involved. One of those little things that my company provided? Actually telling me that I’m appreciated for the work I do.

I don’t think, in the nearly nine months that I’ve been with the company, that I’ve had a single conversation with anyone above me, including the owner of the business, that didn’t in some way involve them thanking me for something as simple as doing my job. I know that was a run-on sentence but I don’t care.

I’ve been given opportunities to do things that interest me that are outside of my job description. And, while I do enjoy certain aspects of what I was hired to do (more often than not), it’s also nice to know that there is potential for me to expand my experiences where I am. I’ve been able to build our company a new website. I’ve been able to start doing more writing. And I’ve been able to keep working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s another thing… Not long after the pandemic began, it was decided to provide employees with bonuses, simply to say thank you for our continued dedication to our clients throughout the changes that were brought on in light of COVID.

I remember going by the office and thinking I’d just pick up an envelope and be on my way. But when I got there, I was called into the owner’s office to meet with him along with our executive director and our clinical director. Basically, the top three people in our company. I was nervous.

All three of them had nothing but good things to say in regards to my job performance over the course of about five months at that point. One of them said she was mostly there because she wanted to see the look on my face when I opened up my bonus. I’m pretty sure I choked on my own saliva. Then I asked the owner if he was sure what I was seeing was correct, feeling like it was definitely too much. He confirmed that it wasn’t a mistake.

But if all of that isn’t enough to prove I’m working for good people, let’s bring us to today.

We now have two offices, one of which is much closer to where I live and, therefore, much more convenient when I need to make copies or meet with the powers that be. As it happened, today after I finished meeting with a client, I realized I needed to make some copies of my timesheets so I would more blank copies for the next few weeks.

Leaving the office, I realized what time it was and it hit me that I was pretty hungry. And while I’m sure I could have made a better choice, McDonald’s was right there, so I pulled into the drive through. And who should happen to be right in front of me? The owner of the company.

When I caught his eye in the mirror of his truck, I waved. Then this guy gets out of his truck and walks back to my car and tells me that lunch is on him today, handing me some cash.

WHAT?!

“You don’t have to do that!” I called as he started walking back to his truck.

I didn’t really hear what he said in response. And I hope he heard me yelling thank you as he pulled forward.

Again… it’s not about the fact that the company has given me extra monetary incentive to do my job. It’s that they take every available opportunity to make me feel like what I do is important and appreciated. At the same time, I’m appreciative of opportunities that I’m given.

I’ve worked for a lot of different companies over the years in a handful of different fields. Some I’ve enjoyed more than others. Some I’ve absolutely hated. I can honestly say, there are few things as comforting as knowing you’re in the right place at the right time.

Feature Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash