On Being a Team

I’ve been feeling sorry for myself because my team forgot my birthday. Today, amid numerous apologies, a belated card with sincere wishes that I had a happy birthday was accompanied by a tasty cake. All I could think to say was, “You love me! You really love me!” (Sorry. My Sally Fields impersonation isn’t my best.) After a rocky first seven years with DAFS (I had agreed to Stewart Bell’s initial request that I stay here at least two) the last three have actually been quite pleasant, and that is due in large part to the absence of competitiveness filled in by a genuine spirit of cooperation. We are just one team among twelve that daily deal with distraught, broken, empty relationships that managed to do little more than produce unwanted children. But our supervisor, Jodi, has done a remarkable job of engendering a spirit of teamwork that doesn’t place us in competition with anyone but ourselves. Our goal is quality case management, and we are living proof that that is better accomplished by working with instead of against each other. Oh, we have our moments. This is by no means heaven. But I thank my team for cooperatively striving to make this a comfortable working environment…and for finally remembering my birthday.