People's Choice Award - Mother approved

I won an award this week. I was nominated by my colleagues weeks ago, without my knowing it, and our Board voted on it, also and obviously without my knowing it. So, the past couple of weeks, I've gone about my daily business blissfully clueless. On Tuesday I got clued in. I was presented with my company's Award of Excellence. The award itself is sort of a paperweight maybe, I don’t know, but a thing you put on your office desk or bookshelf. It is made of recycled glass, which I appreciate, and has a round medal, like a silver dollar, atop it that has the name of the man who founded our company as well as our logo and “Excellence Award.” Although very surprised, I felt good about receiving the award. It’s for doing my job above and beyond expectations. (I think it's fair to say here that I have been in a new role since April, one that is yet to have an officially written description, so to be above and beyond, is a bit of a shock since I don't yet know the benchmark. Or perhaps I do.) In partnership with the trophy / paperweight / thing, was a check, a nice check. I was stunned by all of it, completely surprised. Thank goodness I didn't have to give an acceptance speech. I fear I would have gone all Sally Fields You love me, you really love me on them.

When I got in my car after work, I turned the engine over with anticipation of going to my parents’ house and telling them all about it. Dad would bring out some champagne and say, I’m very proud of you, Cat. His blue eyes would shine at me and we would talk about the importance of good service. Mom would remind me that I was right to stay with this company even when they (my parents) wanted me to find a different job way back when. I would feel good that they felt good about me.

It's true, that’s what I was thinking. It happens sometimes and it happens so fast, that sort of thinking and excitement, that it out runs reality for a bit. It’s fantastic, the forgetfulness, the purity and the energy in my heart. In a way, that thinking makes the scene happen, stages it and lives it in another place and time. And that's okay.

I stepped back to the present, put my car in drive, and headed towards Mom.

Mom, she was all smiles at me when I told her about it. Her eyes smiled at me. Her mouth smiled at me. Then her words told me she was proud of me. I sat beside her bed, my hand over her hand, the bright lights of her Christmas tree glowing, and let the moment and her smile and words fill me to the brim. My Mom, she loves me. She really loves me.