Gratitude Practice 2020 Day 79: The Workplace Pandemic Montage

So, you know that part of pretty much every movie....where the director needs to show a lot of tasks advancing to help move the story forward...because the progress of time and events is critical but not super noteworthy all at the same time. Like when the once frumpy lead actress goes from a pudgy brace face with little confidence and zero fashion sense and in less than the length of an upbeat catchy dance tune she magically transforms into a confident muscular clear faced super model with super shiny not believable hair but still retains just enough goofy-ness to help her remain both believable and relatable to the audience that has always believed in her despite her awkward flaws and just knows that by the time the film ends she can and she will finally find true love. Oohhh! Or that scene in every action adventure film where the sweaty rag tag gang of misfits gathers together to form an unlikely group of heroes who collectively bring all of the knowledge and expertise together to assemble all the equipment/weapons/supplies that are needed to defeat the aliens/Russians/ non-descript bad guys all the while each member somehow learns the finer points of most martial arts and in the end perfects the bunker/ tank/ fortress or what-have-you and triumphantly and courageously win the battle/war/armageddon... you know that part of the movie...Hoo'ah!

I feel like today my team lived out a workplace montage scene of this stupid pandemic and I could not be more grateful. Our work is... has...may forever be changed and this re-framing has had us hustling non-stop for close to two solid weeks. Today, each of us armed with a variety of tech solutions busily focused on individual projects centered in our skill sets producing, creating, organizing key parts of our overall solution...we were racing the clock...texts, email and phone calls were exchanged like a steady stream back and forth at an impressive clip all day long. Each team member critically contributing to the whole from their social distancing kitchen tables or makeshift home offices. Each member no longer dawns our normal business casual attire and has thankfully exchanged it for swishy athletic shorts or leggings with 14 day old high ponytail... because getting ready day during this nightmare is just not happening everyday. Each team member wrestling heart break and worry and sleep deprivation and all jumpy and jittery questioning every new creek or crack or rumble as the next big quake will probably happen soon... because...why wouldn't it. Each one equal parts hopeful and terrified by the requested new assignment yet rally an inner strength and goodness that is so sincerely unbelievable that it renders me an absolute puddle every damn day.

As I watched this team...in absolute aw and gratitude for there individual and collective efforts, I could hear the background music...a haunting yet slightly upbeat score with a tinge of panicked exhaustion and an undercurrent of both solemn hope and shocking dread... today and everyday since the whole damn world blew to hell our team has delivered. They have rallied and they have wrestled. They have united and unleashed. They have each flatlined and recovered a few times and we are each giving each other a turn to experience the cycle... because sharing is caring. And somehow, they keep showing up day after day after exhausting day.

Today, during this work place pandemic montage, even as I could not see them and they could not see me...their endlessly flawed scared out of my sweat pants beyond ragged working mama leader...I rounded out this film worthy scene, as I sat in my home helping to direct this impressive flow of productive traffic all the while being 'captured" by my tiny daughter who has recently developed a new excitement for both yarn and traps. Yippee.

Today, my gratitude lies completely in this process as I watched my work family deliver an impressive amount of work towards an unwanted project inside this terrifying pandemic. I am overwhelmed by all of it and feel nothing but gratitude to be a part of any of it. Today, I am just grateful. Grateful. Grateful.