The most important things in life are the connections you make with others.
Tom Ford
Today my colleagues and I returned to the office after over 2 years of working remotely. During that time, we stayed connected and supported each other through technology. And in that time I became very comfortable working from home.
I appreciated the fact I could continue to work and contribute to my community. I felt fortunate to be home for my kids during one of the most challenging periods in their young lives. And you couldn’t beat the commute time from the kitchen to my home office.
But I missed my sense of normal. I missed getting up and having somewhere to go every day. Most of all, I missed interacting with people.
So today, on our first day back together, I was up early and ready to go, eager to take one more step towards returning to normal. But a part of me was also nervous.
I was nervous to see people I hadn’t seen for so long. I was anxious about how my kids would fare on their own, even though they’re old enough to not need supervision. And I was thinking about my colleagues and how they might be experiencing some of the same excitement mixed with apprehension.
So today my to do list was simple: connect with people. Make them feel welcome. Be present. And catch up on lost time.
I learned about new pets people added to their families during the pandemic. I heard about how much coworkers’ kids have grown. I listened to people share new hobbies they’ve adopted. And I saw friends catching up and reconnecting after being apart for so long.
Before I knew it, the work day was over and it was time to go home. For the first time in 2 years, I could walk out of work and completely leave it there since I no longer work where I live.
I left tired from more interaction than I’ve had in a long time but also grateful to work with such great people.
My hope is that everyone left the office today with the same feelings: relief that Day 1 is in our rear view, happiness for the opportunity to reconnect and gratitude that we get to do it all over again tomorrow.
