Finding Joy - Day 4

New Beginnings -
Today marked my first day full time in a new job.
There's much joy to be found in this -

• The excitement of the unknown
• Having felt rather stagnated in my previous position, this new one offers the chance to learn and work at something entirely new.
• To work with people I genuinely like and respect.
• And as an added bonus, they seem to genuinely like and respect me.
• The chance to help people in a new way.
• To stretch out of my comfort zone a bit.
• To have all this, and still maintain a connection to my previous work.

This sums it up nicely, but doesn't do it justice.  My day was spent with people who are passionate about helping people and will move heaven and earth to do so, and are willing to challenge the assumed "norms" in order to help.  They are are also a group who, office politics aside, like and respect each other so much they linger at the end of the day, just talking and sharing. 

It's lovely to go to work and not know exactly what my day will entail.  And this is from someone who is usually leery about change.  But its just so lovely to not feel like I am just plodding along on a treadmill.  Even though I am brand new at this, to be asked for my thoughts and ideas, and to have those ideas taken seriously.  And the fact that they took me out to lunch to welcome me is just an added bonus:)  OK, I still didn't do it justice. 

Other bright spots of joy today:

• Enjoying the best ice cream ever with a beloved student.
• Having somewhere/someone competent to turn to when faced with a spot of trouble.
• To savor a good book.
• To get home earlier than I had anticipated.
• To snuggle up and relax with my husband.
• To trying something new (Crenshaw melon) and finding it absolutely succulent. (Almost as good as the ice cream) 

All in all, so much to be thankful for. . .