An Odd Story of Thanks & Giving and Giving & Thanks

Debbie, our VP of Stellar Service, just wrote this blog and I love it for so many reasons. Give a listen.  🙂 

“Growing up I learned Thanksgiving was giving thanks, ie. finding the things I was thankful for and verbalizing my thanks. Of course, family, friends and pets were high on my list! But as I was searching for something to write about Thanksgiving, I found myself annoyed with the clichés. Then for some reason, at 4:00 this morning, I remembered something that happened a few weeks back.

Our family moved this fall and as part of that move I planned a metamorphosis of my home office. With a surprise and generous bonus from Katrina (thanks & giving), I decided to purchase an adjustable desk—having been dreaming of one for a while. The idea of sitting in my office chair, switching to a bar stool or to standing at a touch of a button sounded magnificent for someone perched in front of a screen most of the day. After extensive research I chose a desk, which could be purchased either assembled or non-assembled. (Are you sensing the conflict surfacing in my story?)

Now, I’m a ‘do-it-yourself-girl’. I’m a ‘puzzle girl’. I’m the ‘go-to-assembler’ in our family. In a world full of intangibles and nuance, every now and then, fitting together bits and pieces logically to produce something of value is somewhat euphoric. (Anyone with me on this?)

So…I ordered my adjustable desk unassembled. (Enter foreboding music track…)

Our new house spawned endless unpacking and maneuvering around box after box, but I looked forward to stepping into my soon to be zen office to assemble my new desk. (In an effort to shorten the story), let it suffice to say, I was unable to produce a completed, functioning desk. And this do-it-yourself girl was devastated. (I mean I HAD assembled the matching credenza with 1.1 million parts without breaking a sweat or a hair out of place!) I swallowed my pride in short order and acknowledged that I needed help. As I called furniture assembly guru after furniture assembly guru, none wanted to be responsible once the ‘box was open’ and the assembly had begun.

Meanwhile, I needed to continue working to ensure stellar service for our SPEAK! clients 🙂 , so I worked off two TV trays…with my incredible desk laying in pieces, near me on the floor. Certainly NOT the soothing office I had envisioned for maximum productivity. This went on for days as my mojo waned and dreams lay on the floor.

And then…I Googled one more time, made another call and Emil answered. (Music switches to a glorious symphonic track…) Emil, as it turned out, lived nearby and said he could stop by to see if he could help me, on his way home from an appointment across town. To Emil, this was a chance to earn a bit more money than he planned that day and to bring it home to his newborn son and wife. For me he was a blessing, disguised as a furniture assembly guy, who would soon transform my spirit and workspace in 20 minutes!

As we talked and ultimately parted that day, I tried to express to Emil how grateful I was that he answered the phone, that he fit me in and that he was willing to help when so many others were not. When I paid him more than he requested, Emil and I had a moment—both tearing up ever so slightly (for him it’s was possibly the result of newborn sleep deprivation!) The thanks and the giving were all muddled up in a beautiful package. Isn’t that ideal? And from there it spreads and lives on—with more thanks & giving and giving & thanks. Until the real question is, which was first, the giving or the thanking?  🙂 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving—may you thank & give, rinse & repeat!”

                                                                                                                        Debbie

And from myself and the rest of the SPEAK! team, we are so very grateful for the relationships we have with our clients, both our long-standing friends as well as the newer ones who are bringing fresh energy to our team. Happy Thanksgiving to each one of you!

More soon…

Katrina

P.S. Note SPEAK! Chief Security Officer, Tessa, in the picture above. LOVE!