Starting From Scratch

Starting from Scratch

All of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

I knew exactly how the next day’s newspaper cover should appear. As the copy editor tasked with designing the front page during my shift, I planned it out right after our afternoon meeting ended. As soon as I heard which stories had been assigned to appear on the cover and which arts and sports stories would be teased along the top, I knew that the top right corner would feature a cutout image that perfectly complemented the overall page layout. Excited to see it come to life, I dove into perfecting the design.

A couple of hours later, I was told offhandedly that the news had changed, and with it, my perfectly planned cover. I would need to scrap my plan and start from scratch. As my frustration welled, I excused myself from the room, but not before the editors saw tears gleaming in my eyes.

“Didn’t she know that this happens sometimes?” they asked Kate, my boss.

“Of course she knows,” Kate told them. “But she put a lot of work into what she was doing. She’s frustrated because she has to start over now.”

I felt embarrassed over my instinctive reaction, but as Kate finished relaying her conversation to me, I straightened up. She was my direct boss, yes—but she was also my friend. At that moment, I felt grateful that she was willing to be an advocate for me. I wasn’t upset that I had to fix something; I was upset because I felt as if I had wasted my time. I was grateful to her for recognizing the source of my frustration. I knew she had seen my hard work and was acknowledging it. She modeled for me what it meant to work together in harmony by sympathizing with how I was feeling.

All too often, whether it’s at home or work, we perform tasks that go unseen and unsung. As friends, we must work to build each other up.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Encourage a coworker or other friend by thanking them for the unseen work they do.