I really should be asleep right now. I'll be shuttling Mimi and Papa to the airport tomorrow while Cindy watches my sleeping babes (bless her heart) at 0:dark30 in the morning. It's on the eve of the days I know I have to get up that I typically have the most trouble sleeping, so here I sit pondering.
I just started with Avon! I'm very excited about that. It's been a week and I think it's just fun! If you've never been a representative for a home sales company but have wanted to try one Avon is the most user friendly company I've found. I've been involved with a couple other companies, the experiences with which made me think a full week before signing on with Avon. It was quick and painless and as I've already said, I'm enjoying it. I'm not here to sell you on Avon (or am I?) but I realized something very interesting today about this experience thus far.
I'm a part time medical social worker, part time marriage counselor, full time wife and mom. Today the part time medical social worker had a diversity council summit to attend. It was a really thought-provoking day and I'm grateful I was able to participate in it. We were asked early in the day during an ice breaker activity, to share what we hoped to achieve by being involved in the diversity council. I said my hope was to AT LEAST help colleagues and coworkers to increase their sensitivity to the individual person they are serving. This might sound like a bit of a cop-out but I wanted to have realistic expectations. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all. When affecting change you have to start small. (That includes change within your/myself).
As I contemplated my goal later in the day I realized this really is at the core of my clinical social worker's training. We were given the mantra early in graduate school to "meet the client where they are at". That mantra followed me through my Masters program and into my career's work. It is a fitting statement in approaching the treatment of a diverse patient/client base. The same is true in encounters with the diverse population of people I work with.
Enter Avon. One of the reasons I wanted to start with Avon at this time is because I wanted to do a fund raiser for a coworker of mine whose husband has been in the hospital for two months after a severe brain bleed that will keep him hospitalized and in rehab for some time. She is the dearest, sweetest woman, and the two of them would do anything for anyone. Avon is very good about helping their representative with fundraising efforts. I decided that the first two months as an Avon representative I would donate a portion of my earnings to this couple. I brought my books (catalogs) to work and let everyone know that a portion of the money from their orders would be going to our friend and colleague.
One of the women I work with placed an order early on and we were able to talk hair care products, skin products and fun stuff like that. It was enjoyable talking to her, as most of what we had ever talked about in the past was patient-related. This opened up more opportunities to talk with her in the next few days. At the end of last week I noticed that she looked a bit upset. I took the time to ask her how she was and became available to her in case she needed to talk. She did need to talk. She was able to share some concerns about a relationship in her life that was causing her stress. We talked about it a bit, I offered encouragement to her as I could but mostly just listened. I met her where she was at, and "where she was" or what she needed at that moment was simply to talk it out.
After talking with her that afternoon, thoughts of her stayed with me. I was able to pray for her when I knew she would be encountering this difficult person, I offered her further encouragement and support. It felt good to be of use to this colleague outside of the work environment and it seemed to me that it was Avon that paved the way for that opportunity.
So, I'm excited about Avon. Not just the great sterling silver jewelry or the skin care products, but the opportunities it will afford for relationship-building and opportunities to serve others. To serve not only as their Avon Representative ("Avon Lady") but as a person who cares about their wellbeing, a person with increased sensitivity to the individuals I will be serving.
What have you done lately that had you feeling good about helping someone?
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