One Year Later

I have officially been at the YMCA for a year now. My annual review paperwork has confirmed this. :) I can still remember coming across the job opening on Facebook... Graphic Design and Marketing Director. I felt a pull, a call to a "real adult job". I quickly applied and when it took awhile to get back to me after the interview, I started to fear I didn't get the job. It was then how much I realized I really wanted a shot at this position, to better myself and to get back to doing more of what I love. But I did indeed get the job. And this first year on the job has been like none I have ever experienced, nothing I could have imagined, and completely amazing. 

Going back real quick to my "real adult job" comment... I've been in the professional world for over 10 years now. I've held a number of jobs - some I've loved and others I've tolerated. I have been fortunate to work across a number of sectors and have learned a great deal. But many of those jobs were for coordinators or assistants. There's nothing wrong with this and this is how you learn and grow as a professional. This job at the YMCA felt like it could be my first grown-up job. Obviously that's silly since I've been an adult for some time now, but I felt more importance tied to this role, more responsibility, more leadership. And in all honesty, I finally felt that I was ready for this type of role, this higher position.

Looking back at previous jobs, I can see how they were all the right job for that particular time in my life. Looking back, I can see how much I grew and learned from those previous jobs. Each one, each supervisor, each co-worker played an important part in my journey. And I am so grateful for that. 

Four years at Wartburg College drilled into my head this idea of finding my calling. And since I've graduated, I've struggled with that idea. I've struggled to put a name and identity to my calling, my vocation. It wasn't until 2015 that I thought "I think I've found it." It was then I got a job doing communications for a local nonprofit. Not only did I love the work I was doing, I felt like I had a purpose in life. My work was helping others. That was one thing that always seemed to be missing previously. I loved that job. Unfortunately, for a few reasons, there came a time where I needed to find something else for awhile. 

So when this job opened up, I saw it as an opening back into the nonprofit world. A world that I had missed, a world where I felt purpose. After a year on the job, I have that feeling again - that feeling of purpose, of meaning. It makes the work I do so much more enjoyable. 

One of the best parts of my Graphic Design and Marketing Director position is the variety. This is what I've always enjoyed about most of my jobs - that every day looks completely different, not the same thing every single day. And this job seems to be the best compilation of skills needed. So in case you have no idea what it is exactly that I do, let me take a minute to tell you... 

I get to be creative!! I spend my days creating graphics for social medias, flyers, events, brochures and program guides. I am the official Y photographer for all programs, events and every day activities. I write - letters, emails, newsletters, press releases, various content for marketing pieces, etc. I manage the upkeep of our website, which always seems to need updating. I manage mailing lists and advertising information. I've done more video producing this year than in my past 10 years combined. I help manage our social media accounts. I've become the point of contact for our new reservation system and mobile app. I make sure everything is following the Y's brand standards. I provide marketing support not only for the Y, but for the many programs we offer - mentoring, camp, preschool, STRIDE, fitness and wellness, aquatics, after-school, membership, the skate park, our annual campaign, etc. 

I keep busy. I often have a long list of projects that need to be completed. My door is always open as people tend to just stop in my office when they have a new request. I'm always multi-tasking on a few different things. But let me be very clear here: I love it.

I love the busyness. I love the long lists of projects. I love the challenge of having much to accomplish. I love the feeling of finishing a project or a job well done. 

After a month or so on the job, I found myself getting into a groove. I was finding my footing, making plans for what I wanted the role to look like moving forward. I had some new ideas and great momentum working with our marketing committee. But by March of this year, everything got derailed. 

Suddenly, I was doing a job I had no idea how to do; a job I never imagined having to do. I was learning how to be a marketing director for a gym and nonprofit during a world pandemic with no previous or specific experience to rely on. Obviously, we were all in this sort of position, but that does not take away from the challenge it was. We were making adjustments in real time, finding ways to stay connected to members while our doors were closed, basically just trying to stay above water. Things I had planned couldn't happen, projects I was working on were no longer needed. It was a complete shift. Honestly, it was not the type of curveball I was expecting from my first "real adult job". :)  

Looking back on the past few months, I am proud. I'm proud of our team for everything we did and continue to do. I am proud of the work I accomplished. I'm proud of how I grew in the face of the challenges in front of me. My word of the year for 2020 is Bloom. I feel confident in saying that I feel like I have flourished in my professional world. I stepped up when it was needed and continue to produce strong work. All of this is why this job has been so amazing. I feel a sense of purpose; I feel challenged; I feel myself growing; I feel grateful for the job. I am happy. 

And on top of all of that, I work with some of the most amazing people.  

So one year later... I am as excited to come into work every day as I was on my very first day. Maybe more so! I am happy. I am fulfilled. I feel a sense of belonging. I feel like I have found my calling. 

Rollercoaster Day

Today was a rollercoaster kind of day. I've managed to stay away from the toxic social media stuff for two days now (yay me!) but was feeling anxious this morning. Today I was planning on spending the entire day in my office at the Y. The first time since late March. The first time I hadn't spent at least part of the day at home with Jacob. 

There was a lot to be done at work. We were working with a temporary deadline of opening the Y on Monday, May 18, although none of us really believed it would happen, we wanted to get the building ready so that we could open by then. The biggest thing stressing me out this morning was signs. Seems like it should be simple enough but I promise you, it's complicated. 

After a video chat with a co-worker, I realized that I had an even more urgent problem that needed to be taken care of before signs - our website. My freakout shifted to this new project. In our conference call at the end of the day, I got the green light to make the website my priority and could feel myself take a break, relax a bit. The day had been long and I'm not even sure I accomplished much of anything other than adding more projects and anxiety to my plate! But I left the Y with a bit of a spring in my step. Tomorrow would be a new day.

Then, I got a text from a co-worker. It said "Gyms opening June 1st". 

I've got to be honest, I started to freak out again. Yeah, we were working towards this temporary deadline of Monday but without any real conviction. June 1st was an actual hard deadline. And it's a deadline that we need to meet. And I don't know what you do for work, but you can't just reopen the doors of a business and have everything the way it once was. So much has changed. So much needs to be done. We're working on a reopening plan but it's not done. We need to get the website done, a new reservation tool in place, equipment moved, new policies decided, the list goes on and on and on and on... 

And June 1st seems like it's right around the corner. 

In addition to that, I was told that Jacob had a mini meltdown during the day because he missed me and I wasn't around. The kid's gotten use to me being there! Even if I was always working on my computer. Luckily, no one told me of his meltdown until I left work! :) 

But it's like the train is suddenly moving fast. I was hoping to gradually start transitioning back into working from the office full time, but with such an important deadline, I feel like I have no option but to be at the Y as much as possible until June 1st. Once we open and we figure out how this new normal will work, that can be relaxed a bit. But just as quickly as Jacob's life was changed when school closed, it's changing again with me going back to the office, but him still having no school to go to. It feels a bit... like I'm off balance, maybe? 

I don't know what the next two weeks or so are going to look like, but I have a feeling it's going be intense. Which is also disappointing as I wanted to commit to a more slow season. So bear with me. 

Bear with everyone. Be kind. We all need it. 

A Break

It's hard to believe that we've been in this "new" state of normal for almost two months now. And while we've created new routines and some things have become easier, there is still much that we struggle with, much that we don't understand. And we try to prepare for some sort of new future that we don't know what it will look like or when we might see it. 

It's exhausting. And heartbreaking. 

And it doesn't help that those feelings only exacerbate all the other fear and pain and sadness you were already experiencing. It's a lot for anyone to deal with. And what's worst is that we often feel as if we're dealing with it all alone. 

But nothing could be further from the truth. I listened to a really good sermon yesterday that reminded me that no matter what, God is already here. He is already present. He is always by my side. Instead of seeing him clearly, I let my fear and pain and sadness cloud my vision. 

I've been struggling with some things lately and today I decided I needed a break. A mental health day. And I'm grateful for family and a boss and a job that will allow that to happen. I spent the day off my phone, off social media and instead spent it feeling safe from the world in my room. I spent it talking with God. I spent it getting lost in a TV show. Any by dinnertime, I was feeling better. 

I still had no more answers that when the day started, I still had all my struggles and fears. But I also felt the comfort of His presence. 

After dinner, I opened a book that I've been reading on and off for some months now. And it has been months since I've picked it up. And on that very first page, the author talked about living in a season of slow, often due to pain or suffering. But that when we live in a season of slow, "you quiet down all the outside noise so God's voice can become the loudest voice in your life." (Lysa Terkeurst, "It's Not Supposed To Be This Way") She goes on to talk about how she took a break from social media, from reading the newspaper, from certain activities. 

It was exactly how I had spent my day. And I realized that maybe this has to be more than a one day thing. Maybe I need more of a break so that I can slow down, so that I can be quiet, so that I can connect with God and listen to what He has to tell me. 

And so I'm going to try. I'm going to take as much as a break as I can from this world and live in the quiet. Now, I realize that as a Marketing Director, I'm not able to stay off social media entirely or avoid what's happening in this world. But I can limit it. 

I'll still do what I need to do in order to do my job. I will still use social media to connect with my family and friends. But I'm not going to spend endless hours scrolling and getting caught up in what others have to say. I'm going to be more mindful of these slow times we're living in right now to spend that extra time with God. 

Please know that I still want to connect with all of you. Especially during times like this, we need those connects. So please, keep sending me your Snapchats, posting pictures on Instagram. Keep Facebook messaging me and let's keep doing those video chats. Or even send me a text or give me a call. I might be a bit slow to respond, but I will. 

 

April 22, 2020

It's been a while since I've written an update. 

Like many of you, I'm slowly adjusting to our current normal. There are definitely some days that are better than others. 

I enjoy the 'commute' to work each day, the fact that I don't feel rushed each morning. I'm glad to have a full kitchen to find lunch each day rather than going to a gas station or drive through to find food. The always available snacks is another issue... 

I'm grateful for having a lot of family under one roof. They've been extremely helpful with Jacob and not only his distance-learning, but just helping him get through a day where he doesn't sit in front of screen the entire day because I get caught up on work. The past couple of weeks, we've spent Friday nights watching Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals on YouTube. We share a meal almost every night. We get on each others' nerves. :) 

I've enjoyed quite a few video chats and online game nights with family and friends. The warmer weather is very welcomed and getting outside for a walk makes for a nice break. 

I sat in a meeting this afternoon as we start to discuss what reopening the Y looks like. And I think what hasn't hit me yet, what I haven't allowed myself to think about yet is what our world will look like as we start to open things back up. There will still need to be many adjustments and changes and things will not look the same. And I do feel some fear when I think about how that will look, hence why I've avoided thinking about it. 

It make me sad Jacob won't have a chance to go back to school to finish the year. The divisive political fights exhaust me. I miss seeing friends, family and co-workers in person. I probably give Jacob way too many hugs and for way too long because I'm unable to hug other people I care about. 

How are all of you hanging in there? 

COVID-19 Quotes & Memories

I'll be continuously updating this post with memories, quotes and short stories I want to remember from our COVID-19 Days.... 

--
*At a fairly crowded grocery store, we ran into some family
Me: "...yeah, Dad is home sick today."
Jacob (rather loudly): "Yeah, he has the coronavirus!"
Me (slightly horrified): "SHHHHHH, you can't say that sort of thing!" 

--
After coming home from a long day at work where we announced a temporary closure...
Dad: So, are you out of a job?
Me: Who, me? No! I've never been busier! I might not get paid... but I've never been busier!
#nonprofitlife #communicationsdirector

--
After reading a work email on my phone, I sighed fairly heavily. Jacob looked at me concerned and asked, "Did you get fired?!" 
No idea what prompted that! Haha And no, I did not get fired!! 

--
Some of Jacob's new independent playtime activities have included the King of the Coronavirus and bad guys stealing our internet.... 

--
Nana was helping Jacob with some school work. They were having some issues with technology and the internet and Jacob kept asking to take a break. Megan came down to check on them and said, "Maybe you should take a break before everyone gets crabby." And Jacob promptly says, "That's what I'm looking for! I needed Megan to say we can take a break!" :) 

--
Jacob has weekly check-ins with his teacher and a small group of students on Google Meets. The other day, they were doing a "role-call song". Jacob decided I needed to play along so I got to sing with the group! "I see... *whispering*, Jacob, what's the name of one of your friends??" hahaha 

--
While helping Jacob with his school work, Megan said, "You know, you could be done with this assignment already if you quit being silly." And Jacob replied, "If I didn't get the goofys from my daddy!" True fact. 

April 8, 2020: Letting Go

I just finished reading a devotional from She Reads Truth. And there were a few parts that really hit home for me. Especially today as Governor Walz announced he is extending Minnesota's stay-at-home order until May 4. 

There are a lot of thoughts and opinions out on social media regarding our current situation and the actions we either are or aren't taking. I don't need to tell you that. People have things to say. Many believe they alone are right. Many people see this through a lens of "this is being taken away from me". 

And this is where today's devotional felt timely. 

As adults, there are things that we hold most dear. It varies for each person. "But when someone tries to lay a hand on our precious commodities, you better believe we can still throw a toddler-size tantrum. Our fists close tighter and tighter around the stuff that gives our lives meaning." 

Are you feeling similar right now? Do you feel like the things in your life that give you so much meaning are being taken from you? 

Maybe this is a clue that we've lost sight of the only one who can bring true meaning into our lives. 

The devotion goes on to say that throughout the Bible, there are accounts were God asks people to loosen their grip for the sake of the gospel. One is the story of Abraham, asked to sacrifice his son. Another is Mary of Bethany who gives without being asked, anointing Jesus in perfume. 

The question I found myself asking (myself) is do I struggle to hand over what I think gives me meaning, do I struggle to hand over a false idol, do I struggle to hand over whatever it is God is asking me to hand over? Or can I give freely? Ask yourself the same question. Do you have an easy answer? 

"We must loosen our grip on earthly things and focus our eyes on heavenly things."

To me, this parallels what we're being asked to give up with this stay-at-home order, with businesses being closed, gatherings cancelled. It's hard to loosen that grip on the routine of our daily lives. It's hard to make such drastic changes and with such little time to prepare. 

But just as God would ask "people to loosen their grip for the sake of the gospel", we are being asked to loosen our grip for the sake of others. We are being asked to trust our leaders, trust the experts. By staying home, by social distancing, by limited contact with others, we are savings lives. We are providing necessary time to allow additional resources to be found and prepared. We are making a difference. What is being asked of us is not easy and yes, there are consequences. But to me, those consequences have solutions that are easier to find than allowing thousands to die and our healthcare systems to be overrun. 

What is that you're still trying to hold on to? What would it look like if you let it go temporarily? What happens when we take the time to remember that Jesus is the true meaning of our lives? 

Remember, God gave up His own perfect Son as the Lamb on our behalf. My behalf. Your behalf. Rejoice and rest with that thought. And Trust in Him. 

March 22, 2020

When you're on Plan C... G? I? You let the Holy Spirit guide you. Thankful to be a part of this.

COVID-19 March 18, 2020

I saw this quote on Twitter yesterday

Every day represents a day like we’ve never had before. 

It could not be more true. When the conversations first started about the possibility of social distancing and isolation and self-quarantines, much of the talk seemed to be around "this is a time to slow down". What a perfect time to reconnect with your family, call up friends you haven't talked to in a while, play some board games, read some books, enjoy the outdoors. A chance to be still in God's presence and connect with Him. 

It sounded almost glamorous. A welcomed retreat from the world. An opportunity to breathe. And I was looking forward to being able to have this type of experience. 

But in reality? While so much has halted, I have never felt busier at my job. I have never felt so frazzled and overwhelmed with information coming at me from every direction.  I've never felt such an urgency to make sure I'm doing the right and best thing for Jacob. 

Suddenly, in addition to my own work, I feel obligated to collect as much information/resources as possible to provide Jacob over the next few weeks. (Please know, that I am extremely grateful for all of the resources that are being provide online and by our amazing teachers!!) I need to find him a place at the house where he can do some of his school work and activities. I need to clean my house! Because now that we're suddenly going to be spending a ton of time, I realize just how dirty and messy it is. I feel the need to put a schedule into place for Jacob, to limit his screen time, to keep him busy but with purposeful and meaningful activities. 

"This is fine."

While the Y has closed its doors temporarily, the job has not stopped. Communication to our members has never been more important. Creating resources to manage the chaos is essential. Creating resources to stay engaged with our members needs to happen right now. And every day, we have more questions and no answers. The situation is so fluid. 

I try to take some small comfort in knowing that literally everyone else is having the same sort of struggles. I try to remind myself that this is not a time for judgement but a time for grace. Grace for myself, grace for others. 

"Into the unknown!!!"

We are all, quite literally, heading into the unknown. And so, let's do this together. Let's be supportive of each other. Let's not judge each other. Let's show each other love and kindness. 

And while there is much fear and worry of what happens next, we must remember that God is with us. He is always here. And He will provide comfort. 

COVID-19 March 16, 2020

It's hard to know where to start. We're living during a time like none other before. The use of social media and apps like TimeHop will be helpful in remembering all the events that have led us to this current place. Because that really is a beast of its own. 

I've decided what I want to do is blog my personal experience during these COVID days. It has been insane how quickly the situation continues to change, day by day and hour by hour even. 

I was suppose to take a trip to Seattle, leaving March 26. If you were to talk to me just one week ago, I was still fairly confident that I would be going. But by Wednesday of last week, that started to falter and then it faltered quickly. We have postponed the trip. 

On Friday, Gov. Walz held a press conference letting Minnesotans know he was "opening the toolbox" to make sure we had all our tools prepared and ready to go when we need them. By Sunday, he held another conference to state that all schools would close by Wed. March 18 for two weeks for educators to prepare for long-distance learning. Tonight he's announced certain closures for bars, restaurants and other businesses. It is a crazy, crazy time. 

For me, I work at the YMCA. I'm the Marketing Director. It's a whole team of... well, me. I have to admit that it wasn't until Friday of last week that I realized, "hey, I'm the one that's responsible for coordinating and managing all of our communication out to members as the Y makes some tough decisions!" Ha ha. I can honestly say that I never imagined being in charge of an organization's communication and marketing plan during a worldwide pandemic. Why don't they teach you to prepare for that sort of stuff in college?!? 

The days are not necessarily 9-5 right now. (even now I can hear my phone chiming with the sound of incoming emails...) Some of the excitement started in on Sunday night, needing to make some announcements. And it extended into today. I have to add here that today was, if possible, even more chaotic than it could have been. Our Executive Director was home with the flu (awful timing!) and another senior manager was on her way back from out East. It's hard to make decisions when some of your leadership isn't readily available. But, we made it work. 

But once we decided what we finally wanted to say, we weren't ready for the questions we were going to get. It was a reminder of just how difficult and confusing this time is right now - for everyone. There is no roadmap, no template on how to do this. We're making it up as we go. 

Many of the questions we were getting was about membership. For our already busy membership director, things were going to get worse. And so one of the accomplishments I was proud of today was creating a standard response that could be sent to all members, directing them to our website where they were asked to fill out a form with their specific membership update request. We got the form created and online and are hopeful that it will help us process the requests in a more timely manner. 

I also needed to add a section to our webpage where we could continue to update members on different programming and such. One central location they can go to see everything we've had to say so far, and see how quickly it continues to change. 

Tomorrow, we plan to create some sort of form that will work for our different programs as well. Anything to make this process a bit smoother. 

I also sent out a social media plan to the office staff, asking them to start brainstorming some specific ideas for their areas on how we can stay present on social media while the Y is closed. 

It was an exhausting day. And it made me realize that if this was an exhausting day for me, I can't even imagine what it's been like and what it's going to continue to be like for our healthcare professionals, for our elected and community leaders, for those that continue to work on the frontlines of this. All I can do is lift those people up in prayer and ask God to provide them the strength they need. 

Today was also Jacob's first day with no school. Luckily his Aunt Meg is home for a couple of days and was able to take care of today. Once we got word that schools were closing, we started to plan some activities for Jacob. I downloaded some learning apps on the tablet. He was so excited to "homeschool". He said Meg was the teacher and that Papa was the principal. But that he didn't want to be sent to the principal's office (which was the bedroom because Papa is currently out with a cold). Haha. 

Even this morning, when I was in the shower, he came into the bathroom and sat on the floor with the tablet and said, "I'm so excited to learn!" He's too cute. 

But Megan did a great job with him today. They stuck to a schedule, Jacob had limited screen time and they even did the Doodles with Mo Willems! How fun! 

I've been extremely impressed by the number of companies offering up free online educational services, or virtual museum tours, or fun activities to help with the kids while they're home. Social media is proving to be a key factor in keeping us all connected while we're not together.