The leather jacket that’s seen several years and hundreds of hours of wear time. The basket of tulips my children selected for our neighbor’s birthday. The smiles on friends and strangers alike, as we meander through today’s farmer’s market. #getaftergrateful

The world is short-staffed. The world is tired. The world is worried. The world is broken. The world is ripe for a revival of hope and joy.

In the process of helping to build teams at my hospital right now and if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times… Character over competency. We can bring people up to speed on the hard skills of leadership, but now is not the time to teach the soft. The soft skills have gotta be there already.

Today it was my name announced as the next Chief Nursing Officer of South Peninsula Hospital. Never thought I’d score my dream gig this early in my career, but I’m ready to learn while I lead. Here’s hoping I have what it takes. Let’s do this!

On the day we left for vacation, I went clamming with a team from work. It was a questionable call, to add more to an already stressful schedule. But oh, was it the right decision. Elbow-deep in the sand is a happy place for me. I was born to get dirty and dig.

Returned to work and accepted an offer today that’ll change my life forever. Already has. Nervous and grateful, just the way I like it.

I’ve been tracking myself long enough to know when an OCD-type flare is brewing. PMS, Sunday Scaries, transitions in and out of our home are all triggers for my effective-yet-unhealthy coping mechanisms. Organizing a closet is better than binging on Netflix or doom scrolling, but it doesn’t settle me into my bones. What does, I’m learning, is the discipline required to ride the wave and resist the urge. Today, I went upstairs with the intention of purging clothes and instead, put on a wacky outfit and tidied in the sun. I’m in my bones today.