Today is the in between day.

One day that falls between my birthday and Joe's birthday. With all that is going for both of us in terms of work and family, spending time alone with him was the best gift yesterday.

I do not care for hoopla for my birthday, but it was very pleasant to get so many birthday wishes on my Facebook wall. I do not check my work email during the weekend -- and my Facebook account is linked to that email -- so I was buried in a slew of wishes.

Thank you!

By The Book

Last month my boss announced that she would be leaving prior to Fall semester. Within a few days of that, our Director called a meeting of the three of us. Given that my boss and I are a two-person office (under the umbrella of a larger office), I assumed that the meeting was to discuss transition, etc. Alas, the meeting was called so that my two superiors to air their hurt feelings that I went "by the book" when I took my Family & Medical Leave. You see, they wanted to be privy updates; they wanted to be able to help me navigate the rough emotional landscape of my mother's stroke.

In almost any other professional environment, getting too personal is considered unprofessional, but here, it is expected. In fact, it appears that being too professional is career suicide. I have not been approached about my boss' position, nor have I been given much more than polite and restrained greetings. If I were not so preoccupied with my mother's recovery, I might be concerned for my job security.

My mother is recovering, and we are all coping. The distance is difficult for me, but we talk daily. The distance has softened my hard "by the book" resolve, and I am barely able to read two pages of My Stroke of Insight without fighting back tears.

Read this book. If you do not know a stroke survivor, chances are you will in the future. This book is a lesson in recovery and patience.