Milestone Year

This year is a milestone year for me. It is my 20 year anniversary at my company. Many people, in this day and age, believe you should move companies every 5 years. Not me; there was never a thought of leaving my job for another company.  When I first started, the company would send a butler to your desk with a silver tray and present you with an invitation to a 20 year party.  From the beginning, I wanted that invitation. Some may say “what a silly reason to stay at a company”, but for me, it was a nice tribute to your dedication and hard work.

This year is also my 10 year wedding anniversary. Actually, if you are reading this post, the day it posts is my anniversary. We are on a cruise and tonight we are renewing our vows with our daughters in tow. We always said that I would get a redo, if you will, of my wedding day. A chance to experience the day actually walking down the aisle because a week before my wedding, I was playing in the yard with my two American Bull Dogs and broke my leg.

Over my 20 years in my career, I have had many different roles, all of them but 2 were because I asked and said, “I want to do that, I can do that, I am the person you need.” I had the confidence and the conviction to make it happen, and in every case, I was given the chance to shine.

When I first met my husband, he was not interested in dating anyone, we were friends. I would tell him, “you are my person” and he would laugh at me, as if I was kidding. Somewhere between year 2.5 and 3 of back and forth, he realized that I was in fact his person. Our marriage has not always been easy but I can honestly say, I am a better person because of it. I have learned how to compromise, listen, be patient, love when I am angry, hold my tongue and take the good days with the bad, knowing the blessing in all of them.

I am not the same person I was 20 years ago, nor am I the same person I was 10 years ago. I have always had passion for what I believed in, however, over the years, I have learned how to channel that passion. If someone asked me one piece of parting advice now or at the end of my life it is this: Never be afraid to ask for what you want!

If there is something you want, be confident and know it can be yours. It might be as simple as just asking….