My friends at Stevens Road taught me about a practice that they do around the solstice each year. They make wishes for the New Year and free themselves of the old things holding you back. They say it much more eloquently and with special poems and ceremony, but it made me wonder if you would be willing to share your wishes for the New Year and celebrations of last year.
As I think back over the past year, many fun and memorable things come to mind. Sitting at the NJBIZ employer event thinking that they had forgotten to call our name after we got to number five and then realizing we had won: receiving the letter from Modern Healthcare that we had ranked nationally as one of the best employers was a great event: the Autism walk in Point Pleasant and the Toms River folks giving me remedial changing your t-shirt instructions in the parking lot lessons without taking the other shirt off, is one memory that I am only fortunate there was no video for - only pictures when it was over: walking to the gala in NYC and seeing our children on the Times Square megatron, took my breath away: seeing one of our LTC kids ride a pony for the first time, when prior to that all he would do was scream on the unit because he wasn’t going down stairs: seeing athletes from 38 countries watch a baseball game and hang out, even though there was little common language between them: the first time I got to see the sign honoring my folks on the meditation room, still makes me choke up: walking through Mountainside after the renovations and the MOVE from Fanwood Plaza (I am still sore!):the employee meetings when I got to talk about the new vision and seeing tears in both of our eyes about what it is going to mean to create a world where every child would live to their maximum potential: when I got to see one of our little LTC children walk with her pink crutches to get her diploma at Fanwood School. There are many more but these are a few of the highlights for me.
As I mentioned in the last wrap up - it looks like we are well on track to achieve 9 out of 10 of our corporate goals. Truly I am so appreciative and thankful to work with people who give so much of themselves to achieve such greatness. Time and time again, we have pushed our selves, hit our goals and set the new goal. I will never forget that I asked the Senior Leadership team a few years ago how we would know when we got "there". A few of the team members corrected me and told me that you never get "THERE" - You achieve new things and than there is more to be done because our children always deserve us to be striving to make their lives the best they can be.
How about you? Do you have some highlights from last year you’re willing to share? Something memorable that might make you smile and bring a smile to others?
5 comments:
I was at NJDC/IWAS helping out. We were all waiting in line for the porta-john's. They are lined up side-by-side. Some of them have a wheel chair logo, some don't. Out of consideration, those of us you didn't need to wheel in, used the ones without the logo. One of the athletes wheeled over and after seeing all were "occupied" sat and waited with me. We were speaking for about 3 minutes and the dial on her unit turned and a man came walking out. She was amazed. She quickly commented, "Wow you are walking, How long were you in there for?" I think the guy got the point and laughed so hard on the inside I barely made it to mine.
Its funny that you asked that question.It was right before christmas and I had just got done putting the children on the bus for school,when I went to hang my coat up I heard a song playing on the radio (All I want for christmas is you) Mariah Carey, version when I couldn't hold back I just started dancing right in the hallway then the next thing you know the secetary started dancing then a nurse came out of the bathroom and started dancing then the secetary called the manager and she started dancing,when the socialworker came down the hall she ran and got the camera and took our picture the dietician was laughing the housekeeper was laughing it was so much fun and now everytime I hear that song it brings me even more joy that sometimes I just laugh to myself. Its amazing just what joy music can be.The smile on everyones face was worth more to me then all the money in the world.I will always remember that special day in december 2008.
The window contest in Tomriver,who would have thought (THE CHOSEN ONES) won 1st place. It started out looking like an avalanche people wondering and whispering and some even had jokes as they went down the hall, what is it?what are they doing? next thing you know as our team put our heads together what was hopeless turned into a prize winner for all when the judges came to judge it was truly the chosen one and we all got a free meal for it how wonderful things turn out when we put our heads together thats what I call real teamwork.we all had so much fun .
I'll never forget being at NICHQ and presenting with our Family Faculty. After the presentation Nancy and Pat were known as the "Jersey Girls". They couldn't even go to get a cup of coffee for everyone wanted to talk to them for a few minutes and pick their brains on how they helped institute Patient-and Family-Centered Care and change our culture at our hospital. They received the greatest honor when their efforts were recognized as a National Benchmark.
Top 10 smile inducing moments of 2008 at 94 Stevens Road
1. Assisting Meagan Davis in filling out her disability paperwork, which asked her to explain the “nature and circumstances surrounding her disability” –(Megan is leaving on maternity leave)
2. Out of state road trips
3. Out of state road races
4. Explaining the meaning behind local colloquialisms to Geetha B.
5. Bringing Skinny the skeleton to the beach party and yoga
6. Swamiji’s visit
7. Trish West-Low getting punched in the face by a tiny tot, who, when asked what he should have done to get her attention instead, replied “ I should have kicked her”
8. Hearing Ellen’s laugh
9. Flicking, burning and otherwise transforming energy
10. Each opportunity to have a soft place to fall, plenty of ears to vent to and warm hugs to make it all better
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