Act of Kindness Friday - Just Plain Sick

A wave of sickness has been going through my office.  First my boss, then one of the assistants.  One had stomach flu, the other a bad case of bronchitis.  To top it off, L is sick again, as well.  Since I still have my immune system of steel from my years as a teacher ::knock on wood:: I have somehow managed to avoid the sick.  When I came to work on Tuesday I had two messages telling me that I would be the only person in HR that day.  To top it off, my co-worker was supposed to be organizing an awards ceremony.  She called in a panic asking me to reschedule and worrying about her job.  I told her I would take care of it.

I guess the act of covering for a sick co-worker is kind, but really, it is about all of the kindness that people showed me when we went through our terrible winter last year.  The kids were sick one after the other and M couldn't take off from work because of a contract re-bid, so I was the sick nurse.  I remember breaking down after the second ear infection/fever in a four week period and really thinking that I was going to get fired or passed up for that promotion.  However, my co-workers were kind and understanding and they put me at ease.  It may have seemed like a small thing to them, but it meant a lot to me.

Pretty much everyone that supports the space program is worried about their job right now.  I can see it in the faces of our engineers and the administrative staff.  Getting sick can make everything worse.  When I heard my co-workers voice on the phone, I remembered how I felt and, really, how could I not help ease her mind a little? Kindness breeds more kindness, whether it's the next day or the next year.

Have you seen kindness this week?  Please blog about it and join our project by using Mr. Linky at the bottom.  Suzy and I would love to hear about your acts of kindness!