My "Work Family"

I think I have a cool job.  While my official title is “Accounts Clerk” for the Beauregard Parish School Board, my unofficial title is administrative assistant, or secretary, reservations clerk, accounts payable officer, time and attendance person, supplies orderly, dispatcher, public relations liaison, memo and letter writer, and all-day-long coffee maker.  Since our department consists of only three mechanics, my supervisor, and me, sometimes it gets overwhelming.  However, we do our best.  For the most part, it is an awesome, encompassing, fun, always-something-going-on kind of job.  Now, the last thing you may think of when I say job is family.  Here is a story about my “work family.”

            There are many ways to describe a family.  For example, some have an extended family while others may have a traditional or nuclear family, and more may even have a long-distance family.  Let me tell you about my “work family.”  My work family is a mirror image of my real family.  I am blessed and grateful to have a “grandpa,” a “dad,” an older “brother,” a younger “brother,” many “aunts,” “grandmas,” and “cousins.”  Like a real family, each offers different personalities, mannerisms, ways of thinking, opinions, gestures, and religions.

            Well, today was one of the lesser hectic days and my work family and I were treated to a Thanksgiving before Thanksgiving.  The Special Education bus drivers and their aides invited us to a pre-holiday dinner.  When we arrived, they welcomed us with such delightful manners and a fabulously decorated table.  Each place setting was perfect.  From the matching plates, to shiny silverware, to cloth napkins and goblets all arranged on a fine tablecloth that could impress even Martha Stewart.  Their combined efforts were evident.  So much food lay out before us that is was hard to decide what to get.  Naturally, my plate miraculously became overfull and I could not eat it all. 

            Sitting at a neatly arranged table, with a finely prepared meal, surrounded by the best people in town, was very special to me.  It was relaxing and peaceful.  We laughed, joked, stuffed our faces with great food, and enjoyed ourselves just like a real family at a holiday dinner. 

            Then I got to thinking.  Was the occasion fun only because it was a special get together, or was it because we were all Baptists?  I don’t know.  Don’t being Baptist and overeating go hand in hand?  (Wait, there may have been one or two “other” religions there, but hey, we Baptists love everyone even if they are weird!) 

            Thank you to my “work family” of Mr. Newsom, Mr. Darrell, Randy, and Dan.  Thanks to yall I look forward to coming to work and actually like my job!  For the great company and excellent food, thank you again to Ms. Jackie Cole, Ms. Sharon Chevalier, Ms. Mitsy Fuller, Ms. Shelley Songer, Ms. Lou Slaydon, and Ms. Tanga Warner.  I hope each of your holidays are filled with the same joy all of you bring to me.