Good Stuff and a Nice Surprise

The majority of this is an entry from my previous blog as it tells the background to something that happens today. I thought it summed everything up well and I have a headache and so figured I'd take the lazy way out.

Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005 - 8:41 p.m.

A nice Surprise

I had the best day today.

And I want to tell you a little about one of my clients.

This client is one who's situation really made me feel for her and sort it out. We do that for all our clients but this one was so grateful for my help and getting messed around so much by the people her problem was with that I just really felt for her.

I especially liked her because I've had two or three messages from other advisers she's spoken too since saying she mentioned how helpful I'd been and stuff like that. And who doesn't like a person who compliments her like that?

I really didn't want to go to work today, it was my first day in since we went to Cornwall and I had insomnia so didn't sleep well last night (although I had bizaree surreal dreams when I did sleep). So I was feeling a bit ugh and like i just wanted to stay in bed. But, I went to work.

And when I got there my supervisor told me there was something in my pigeon hole, saying he'd bring it over to me.

A present, wrapped in red shiny paper with a gold bow thing. And a card address to Emma (adviser) CAB and the rest of the address.

The card was a thank you card from that client letting me know her situation is resolved and how very grateful she is. And asking that I accept this small token of thanks...

A box of Thorntons Chocolates.

What did I do for her? one face to face interview with her, wrote letters, phoned a few other people, kept her in touch with what was happening - basically just MY JOB.

To me it wasn't a big deal, just a regular day. But obviously to her it was a lot more than that. and that card and those chocolates show that.

All of my colleagues read the card and had a chocolate... the card is now pinned on the noticeboard at work for people to read and the chocolates are left for the rest of my colleagues to share.

This week is one year since I started at CAB a milestone I am very proud of. Getting those chocolates today made things so much more special to me and reminded me of what CAB can do and why I do it.

I go to CAB to get out of the house, I enjoy my work and it helps me with my depression. I work I do can make a real difference to clients as this shows and then a rare client such as this one makes my day by buying me chocolates and leaving them for me to find on a day when I feel ugh.

I feel so special!

And then we come to today when I am three or so weeks away from having worked there two years and it is more than a year since I saw that particular client.

I haven't thought about her properly (the details of her life/case I mean) for a long time but I haven't forgotten about her and what she did for me.

One of my newer carers is a girl I went to school with, we were quite friendly and I am enjoying seeing her again. A while back she told me I was crazy for doing voluntary work and I told her, no, I couldn't manage to work properly and here is the deal. And then I told her about how CAB work is so, so worth it. I did admit it can be tough but used this lovely client with her box of chocolates as my example of the great stuff.

Today I went to work and I helped two sets of clients. One of whom is a regular and knows most of us by name. It was probably only the second or third time I have advised him but he still knew who I was and greeted me by name asking how I am. This might sound strange but it helped to validate my feeling of belonging and that being there is right for me.

After work I headed up to see the nurse. This blonde lady walked towards me and said something, I didn't recognise her but I stopped.

She said: "your the lady who helped me at Citizen's Advice" and I was desperately trying to rack my brains to see who she was whilst going "did you get everything sorted? Oh, I am glad." and saying non commital pleasantries in the hopes I could pull off not knowing who she was.

Then she asked if I had received her letter and present and I knew just who she was - my client from a year ago.

She asked about me, was I still at CAB, how *was* I, that sort of stuff. She also did that thing where older people sometimes hold your hand in both of theres when you talk... but only she caught my joystick and the problem with that... it moves my chair. but luckily I was able to turn it off quick and killing the battery killed my momentum.

Unfortunately I was pretty much due in w/ Julie (my nurse) that minute so I couldn't say much to her but I enjoyed meeting her again... and I was amazed how much my morning of work meant to her that she remembered me and more than that recognised me more than a year later.

CAB is so worth it, we make such a difference to some people and that's what it's all about. Even if we do have to deal with some real ungrateful so and so's in the process!

I am happy today