This is a story about the missing company birthday cards. You know I love greeting cards and better than that, I work for a greeting card company. You spend a third of your life (give or take) at your job and you should enjoy what you do. How much happier can someone be than to work with something they love? Well, you could get wonderful company birthday cards. We do have a lot of company birthday cards hanging around, but sometimes the mischief fairy misplaces the greeting cards on you.
It was a beautiful sunny day for my birthday two years ago. I was having that “it’s my birthday and I feel wonderful” kind of feeling. You know, that everyone’s going to treat me great and I will just eat it up kinda feeling. I danced downstairs and my husband had breakfast on the table and I got personalized birthday cards and wishes from the family. What a great day it’s going to be.
I trekked off to work and smiled at the traffic. I knew I would have a pile of greeting cards on my desk, including the company birthday cards. The owner, the president, the manager of my department and the supervisor all sign birthday cards. Then they come around and personally wish you well.
I walked in smiling at everyone. Nobody said Happy Birthday, and there were no birthday cards on my desk. What was happening? I didn’t know how to react. The president went by and said “Good morning, Dolly.” No “Happy Birthday?” No shaking my hand? How should I handle this? I didn’t want to pout like a child, but this was a really big let down. We are never too old to want people to remember our birthdays. It is a monumental occasion in a person’s life. My smile drooped a little, but I made it through the day and went home to the people who love me. They remembered how important my birth was. Oh well, I still love greeting cards.
The next day when I went to work, there was a stack of business birthday cards on my desk. There they were…all the birthday cards from my coworkers. There was the “Happy Birthday, Dolly.” There was the handshake. I told everyone that yesterday was my birthday. The company had written it down as the seventh and my birthday is the sixth. Of course, we all laughed and they changed it so they didn’t make that mistake again.
My faith in human nature was restored. My smile is bright again and all is well at the greeting cards company.