Decisive Moments

I've been crabby this week. Puffy and crabby. You've probably heard the expression, "this was the wrong weekend to give up drinking." Well, I haven't been drinking, but I probably shouldn't have been surprised to encounter challenges the same week I felt least like coping with them.

We nearly lost a big account this week. In the middle of signing a new contract, a competitor pitched a bid to undercut us by an enormous amount. An unlikely amount. And when I say we were in the middle of signing, I'm not exaggerating. The back slapping and congratulations had already made the rounds. We were looking forward to being busier than we'd been in quite some time. Then, out of the blue, we were in the middle of a power squeeze by a company fighting for its own existence and willing to screw the pooch for it (pardon my French). And in this environment, it was an offer seriously considered despite the improbable savings. After a tense few days, we came out on top.

That was not the end of the week, however. Someone I know informed me that his wife has a serious illness. When he delivered the news, I offered my apologies and asked for details. All he could do was shake his head, too emotional to speak.

I thought about this all day. This is a great couple. A great family. Friendly and cheerful, the family you want as neighbors, co-workers or fellow parents when there's a fundraiser to do. But make no mistake, the wife is the rock of the house. She is treated well by her family because she creates a home for them, and is the force responsible for making life beautiful.

Two situations, side by side. In one case, the threat of losing an account emphasized how much we wanted it. In another case, the threat of losing a loved one exposed in stark terms just how valuable that person is. So fess up. How often do you complain about your job because you know it will be there tomorrow? And how often have you withheld your feelings with someone you loved, knowing that you'd get another chance when the time was better?

Now imagine that you were wrong. What would you do differently? Would you do your job differently? Would you want your loved one to wonder about your feelings?

I know I've been harping a lot about the economy lately, but maybe here's a silver lining. When times are good, it's easy to gloss over the good things in your life and let the bad things color your day. It's easy to complain when things really aren't all that bad. It's lazy, but it's easy.

But when times are hard as they are now, I think you learn what's valuable to you and what you can handle. So maybe this can serve as a reminder to grow up. Man up. Woman up. Don't neglect the people and things that mean something to you. Events can change on a dime. You can lose things, you can lose people, when you're not looking.

I guess that means I need to stop being crabby now. I promise to work on it.

---Laura