Celebrate Life

This picture was taken a couple of months ago. It was Grandma and Grandpa's 60th Anniversary celebration. I was fortunate enough to be a part of it. I got to give her a hug and kiss and tell her I loved her. She looked damned good for 92...and grandpa kept going on and on about how he caught himself an older woman.. He's 90. I got to hear stories about their wedding day...the double wedding with her cousin. I got to see her cake topper. She still had it after all these years. Her love for her family unshakeable. Her pride in her kids and grandchildren evident. And I was lucky enough to be a part of her life.

Time changes so quickly. People come and go. And although I'll miss her...and a part of me is sad...there's another part that's grateful. She lived a full life, a happy one...not to mention a long one. Would that I'll be able to do it half as well as she did.

The memorial is set for the 20th. I'll be headed back home to be there for it. I don't wonder if I'll have the strength...I know I will. And I know I can celebrate her life, and be happy she's not suffering. I can get through anything. I always do. I'm tough...but sometimes I wish I was just a bit weaker. I wish I had it in me to cry like a baby and be selfish. Just this once. But I know I won't. It would dishonor her. And it's just not me. But yeah, sometimes...sometimes I wish.

And Still...

She was in her nineties. She'd had a good life...a long life. She'd seen her sixtieth wedding anniversary. Logically I know all this. Logically I appreciate all this.

But emotionally...my heart is a bit torn.

I'm a bit shell shocked...bewildered. A few weeks ago, Grandma P had a heart attack. They said it was pretty severe. They took her off her intubation...and she got BETTER! She was always the fighter. Quietly supportive. Vocally hilarious...filled with stories of family and old days. She didn't understand words like political correctness. She just said what she thought. She loved her family...even those of us who she gained through marriage. She was thrilled when her son married my mom...and accepted us with open arms. More grand kids to love. She always made us feel as though we were hers...as much as anyone related by blood. She always had a hug and a kiss and a story made to make you roar with laughter about her crazy escapades.

And now, suddenly, she's gone.

And the world just seems a bit darker for it.

Makes You Wonder

So I spent yesterday doing interviews for one of my locations...working on staffing them.

A little background on me...I'm a multiple location manager in retail electronics. Since I have four stores, I'm always doing hiring for one location or another. Because it's retail and turnover can be high, I'm extra careful about who I hire. And since it's a Fortune 100 company, there's a very definite set of questions and expectations about the type of person we're looking for.

Anyway...My first interview sauntered in. Probably in his 30's or 40's. Dressed pretty casually, especially considering he knew our dress code for men was shirt and tie. (He's been our customer for quite some time) Kid you not...the guy had morning breath. You'd think that you'd at least control little things like that when you have no experience in the area for which you're interviewing...but that's just me. And I'm not above taking chances on the person if they strike me as worth taking a chance on. Based on his background, I think he might make a better tech.

My next lady cancelled. Due to inclement weather, she said. Of course in this area of the world it rains for an hour every day about this time of year. And I'm kind of indifferet towards her anyway. See, here's the thing. I called to set up an interview with her in the first place, and she was kinda rude. It went something like this:

Her: (snarly voice) Hello.
Me: Hi, I'm calling for so and so.
Her: (flat tone) Yeah, I'm so and so. What do you want?
Me: I work for ----. I'm calling because I'd recently recieved your resume and would like to set up a time for an interview.
Her: (suddenly sugar and spice) Absolutely! I've been trying to get a job with ---- for a while now.

So if she's been trying to get in the door with us for a while she thinks it'll make sense to cancel an interview she's finally been granted? Her tone already made me nervous because I'm filling a customer service spot... but we'll see.

And then there was my next guy I interviewed. It started off positively. The guy came in early. I liked that. Then I looked more closely at his resume. He was demanding Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays off. That was when I knew he was crazy. Hello! We work RETAIL. Weekends being our busiest times of the week. So before anything even started I had to tell the guy that if he truly expected these days off, we had nothing further to discuss. He then told me that he likes going to church on Sundays...which I can appreciate as a person, but can't begin to interfere with my decision as a manager. I asked him again. "Are you completely unavailable on these days?" He then stated that no, he's not, but on Wed (he accidentally missed and clicked Thurs) he had prayer meetings in the evening, so mornings were okay...and that church was out at 12:30, so he could work by 1 on Sundays.

We continued on with the interview. Got to the problem solving portion of the interview. Asked him to describe a time when he came up against a difficult situation and/or task, how did he handle it, and what was the end result. And he said very seriously, "You may not believe this, but I pray about it, and it all gets better." Now I'm not one for mockery. And I'm a Christian, too. But I'm looking for a step-by-step. So I say..."While this may help with focus, we both know that simply praying about a situation doesn't resolve the situation. So AFTER you pray, what steps are you guided towards?"

I just did not know what to make of this day. Thank Goodness the last woman I interviewed was a dream!