Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

Last weekend I was able to spend some much-needed quality time with my best friend. She lives almost four hours away, so I cherish the moments we get to be together. It’s one of those relationships where you don’t need to watch what you say or worry about how you come across. She knows me and she gets me. It’s one of the few times I’m able to be 100% myself and it’s so refreshing.

When I’m struggling I can call her up and she’ll provide clarity. When I’m about ready to lose it, she talks me off the ledge and gives me perspective. We are so much the same and yet just the right combination of opposites that we compliment each other. I can speak for both of us and say that we each went into work on Monday with a full tank, which was good, because I needed all of it to get through.

On Monday I learned that one of the regulars at my job had suddenly passed away. I talk with this gentleman weekly and over the last year, he’s really made an impression on me. When I got the news, I quickly went from shock to uncontrollable sobbing. It was difficult for me to get back to work. Even as I type this, I’m holding in tears. The people in my life are so important to me, and when I lose one of them, it’s hard. His absence will be felt by many for a long time.

On Tuesday I had my first day of Leadership. It’s a program put on by the chamber and Riverland to help develop and grow the leadership in our community. I had the opportunity to learn and meet some really neat people. Here I was in a room with other professionals who were actively trying to better themselves and our town — how cool is that? Then after the class was done I went back to work because, well, work doesn’t finish itself. Thankfully, 11-hour days aren’t the norm, but they aren’t foreign to me either.

Wednesday I represented my company at a health fair. I love events like this. You get out of the office and meet new people for a bit. After my table was packed up, I headed back to work to check on one of my new employees in training. Thankfully, she’s doing awesome (for the record I had zero doubts). Wednesday I was home early (by 6:30 p.m.) and I was happily snoring by 9 p.m. 

Thursday I had an important meeting. You know in school when they made you do those team projects? Sometimes your team would contribute, sometimes you had to pick up all the slack. Either way you still had two months to work on it and everyone shared a final grade. Those projects prepared me for this meeting that I had. I didn’t even realize how much stress I was carrying until it was over. Formal apologies to my family for any not awesome behavior that I may have displayed over the previous weeks.

Although it’s only been five days since my weekend away, it feels like forever ago. I really do love my job and the impact it has on our community. Some weeks are harder than others, but it just makes me appreciate this upcoming weekend that much more. I can already foresee there being lots of snuggle time with my children. I hope they’re ready. 

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.