changes, parachutes, and happiness

When one of my best friends moved out of state several years ago, I couldn't have been more heart broken. To cope, I hoped and prayed she was as torn up as I was, and, selfishly enough, part of me wished she'd be just a little bit unhappy--not a lot, but just enough to move back home. (Please don't get offended by that!!!) I also made her a scrapbook of all the fun times we'd had over the years in highschool, as a going-away present. She went from IL (for school) to TX (for work) and has finally settled on AZ.

Well, C is back in town visiting for the Christmas holidays, and I couldn't be happier. Last night on the way home from the hockey game, she and I got to talking about our jobs. She told me what her job entails, how much she likes it, and what she wants to do career-wise. When she asked about my job, and whether or not I wanted to continue in the field, I answered with a (surprisingly) forceful, "No. No way, not for the rest of my life." When she went on further to ask, "What do you want to do?", the only answer I could come up with was, "I don't know. I have no clue." It was then that she recommended a book: "What Color is Your Parachute?", by Richard Nelson Bolles. She preached how great the book is, and gave me examples of the "exercises" in the book to help figure out just what it is I would be good at (and would LIKE) to do for a living. Hopefully, Borders will have the newest issue in stock when I swing in there tonight....

We also discussed re-formatting / re-vamping resumes, how to do it, what employers look for, how to get interviews, and she recommended another book all about those issues--though she will have to email me the name when she gets back to AZ. I realized--and fully admitted--as a result of our conversation, that my problem is sheer laziness and comfort in my current job. Luckily, she confessed that she had had the same problem in the past, which made me feel a lot better. C really inspired me to get off my lazy ass and start looking for MY job--not just looking, but really looking.

And I didn't realize it at the time last night, but I'm really proud of my sister. She has taken the time to do the soul searching required to understand what she's really good at, what she wants to do, and what she is now doing. She's gotten off her butt, so to speak, and has taken the steps to get that job, and go back to school, and pursue the career that she wants.

For quite some time, I (along with other friends) tried convincing her to come home. Then it turned to, "Well if things don't work out there, you know you can always come back here..." But now, as much as it pains me to an extent, I no longer tell her to come home. I tell her how much I miss her, but I think I've finally come to grips that she's just how I want her to be: happy. And I couldn't ask for more. Don't get me wrong, I still miss her terribly when she's not home visiting, but I'm so excited that she is doing what she wants to do and is happy.

I love ya sis. You've inspired me, and I'm incredibly proud of you.