Awesome!

This was actually written about a year ago, but so many of you have asked for it again, so..."back, by popular demand," here it is. (It was originally called, "I Wish I Had Thought Of That.") Enjoy!

You can learn a lot from a third-grader...IF you're paying attention.  And on that particular day, I was!  Here's what happened:

Most of you know that I work at a lighting gallery.  The finest lighting gallery in the midwest.  The only lighting gallery in the state contracted to display and sell the beautiful Schonbek crystal chandeliers that you will see in the White House, the Smithsonian, Buckingham palace AND the latest James Bond movie!  OK, okay---that was a crummy commercial, but not really because I never mentioned the name of the store--haha.  But, I digress.

In my position, I am expected to take care of any sales-related business that comes through the door, but my favorite job is assisting people who are building a custom home.  We work closely with the builder and the customer to help them choose the right fixtures for the right space, everywhere that lighting is needed throughout the house.  As Lighting Consultants, the customer relies on our knowledge and often follows our recommendations completely.  Therefore, it is crucial that we are knowledgeable in every area of the lighting process.  We must stay up-to-date with product information as well as electrical code.  It may not be rocket science, but it can be a precise science!  So, it can take from a couple of hours in one visit to many accumulated hours over several visits to complete the task.  Customers find that they must make appointments and actually arrange for some time to get it all done.  Often, they must come late in the day, after they finish working.  They are tired and hungry and just want to go home.  On top of that, they've picked up the kids and have them in tow.

No worries, though.  I learned a long time ago that frazzled parents can relax a little bit, if their children are not too cranky and have something "fun" to do.  That idea came to life when I went to work at the lighting gallery.  I keep little boxes of crayons in my desk, markers and stickers---good stuff!  It keeps the little ones occupied and happy for quite awhile most of the time.  They often color pictures and give them to me, which I dutifully display.  But, one of the best ones I have received came just a few weeks ago.

They were tired and over-budget on everything from tile and carpet to the granite counter-tops.  To add insult to injury, their builder had not given them an adequate allowance for their lighting fixtures.  They could easily go over-budget by a thousand dollars or more---IF they wanted their dream home to look custom, rather than mass-merchandised.  In situations like this, it is crucial that we are well educated on the products available.  When we are, we can show you items that you may not know about, and help you get the most for your money---poor budget and all!

So there we were, the lighting consultant, the bedraggled couple and their eight year old son.  I put him to work immediately, drawing.  He was happy.  The parents were relieved.  Now we could get some work done.  We walked around the gallery together and I made recommendations, based on the information they were providing regarding style, finish, etc.  I pointed out fixtures that suited their descriptions and were size-appropriate and on SALE!  We may not be able to stay in budget, but we were going to be very close.

Two hours later, at six p.m., we were winding things up, and it was time to close the store.  When it was all said and done, we had beautiful fixtures, light bulbs for everything, and with tax included, the final total was less than two hundred dollars over.  They were delighted.  They told me that they fully expected to be hundreds over and were dreading it (any overages to builder designated budgets must be paid before the product is delivered to the job-site. )  As they were preparing to leave, we shook hands all around, proud of our work.  The little guy wanted to shake my hand too, and when I obliged, he pressed a small scrap of paper into my palm.  They scurried out the door and as I headed back to my desk I glanced at the little note.  Four little words...that's all...but, you can learn a lot from a third-grader if you're paying attention.

Here's what he had written..."this place is AWESOME"

Wow!  What a realization.  This place IS awesome.  I looked around and remembered how much I enjoy my job.  I remembered to be grateful that I still have a job---so many don't right now.  And I thought about the hundred ways I could apply that little message to every area of my life.

My Husband and our relationship:  yep, awesome!  growing greater every day, too

Our children and their children:  no doubt---AWESOME!  just ask me about any one of our 26 grandkids

my country:  for sure---with all her troubles, still the greatest place on earth

my faith:  my God is an AWESOME God; of course He is---He's the only true God, and THAT my soul knoweth right well!

my extended family:  we make up a very interesting group, but isn't it variety that is the spice of life?!  oh yeah, we're awesome all right, and SPICY!!

my friends:  the best of the best---absolutely awesome in their devotion

I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  John Travolta, as the lead character in "Michael," said basically the same thing, "I'm gonna miss this place so much."  Why? Because it's awesome! 

Let's face it: THIS PLACE IS AWESOME.  It might be a physical place, like the earth itself, as Michael pointed out, or "this place" might be the place you are in a relationship.  It could certainly be any number of things.  Begin to ponder on this, as I did.  You will discover that things are better than you thought in many areas.  And stop waiting for everything to be "perfect."  That's not going to happen because we live in a very imperfect world, that is nevertheless, AWESOME, if we choose excellence.

If you are unhappy with your employment, seek another job--find the one, no matter how menial it may be, that makes you shout, "this place is awesome!"  Come home every day and say, "this place is awesome."  Examine your relationships, work on them until you can say, "this place in my life is awesome."  If it's too late for that (and sometimes it is) recognize that too, and pray for a second-chance.  There is a relationship that will convince you that you have finally found the one true love of your life.  Whatever you do with your life and your choices, make sure you can say at the end of the day, "this place is awesome."