We treated the team to the suite at the Giants game last night. The client flew in from Portland and we had a few staff fly in from different parts of the states. None of them have ever had the treat of a box suite. Sometimes, it is easy to forget how special something is until you see it through the eyes of others.
Although the Giants lost the game, the team had such a blast as it was a gorgeous sunny day for a game. As one person noted, it is amazing that we are such a tight knit team despite it being a "shitty" project. In my experience, it's usually the tough times that can make people stronger or tighter...it's usually all in the healthy habits of teamwork rather than some blame game.
Afterwards, they did not want the party to end, and we all went to Alchemist to continue the festivities. My "work wife's" significant other came to meet us, as he was going to help her carry leftovers home. Yes, unbeknownst to me, the team asked for "doggy bags" to totally "destroy" any food and beverage that was leftover. It reminds me of childhood when we did not have much money so cherished an experience by not leaving anything back to waste. It became a very comical team activity.
Being a pseudo introvert, I was drained by the end of the night by all the hosting. As I was trying to sneak out, one of our main client contacts caught me and emphatically asked, "You're not going to give me a hug and say goodbye?" Sometimes it is hard at my level to stay professional and keep things at arm's length, especially when there are periods where the client pushes back on our performance, but it did feel good to be embraced and let all the tension and stress of the last 9 months on a very challenging project wash away as water under a bridge.
My work wife (stone skipping (part 4)) and her significant other insisted that he walk me out despite my protests. I don't often get to spend time with him alone, and he took the opportunity to thank me for all my support for her over the years. They have been together for 1.5 years so he got to see the stresses of this project take a toll on her health and sanity. It was beautiful to see how genuine he was, but also how protective he is about her. He relayed to me his thoughts regarding next steps in their relationship including meeting parents. I smiled thinking that he was progressing without pressures (as she did not want to pressure him so avoided such topics). However, he stopped me and said that he was asking me. In hindsight, I am not quite sure if he was asking my opinion on his plans of introducing her to his parents or asking my permission as if I am someone important to get approval.
The two of them clearly love each other in very nerdy, socially awkward way, which makes it so refreshing to witness. She has clearly improved her confidence over the years, both professionally and personally, and in a way her significant other and I were part of that, so it felt a bit surreal to be thanking each other for the other's contribution to supporting her in a way that made each of our relationships that much stronger. They are two beautiful souls and as I told her that night, do not stick around too long at work, as it will naturally change her if she is to be successful. I'm so glad she's found the love of her life, and he his. Happiness is ...
No comments:
Post a Comment