Holiday Cheer in the Home Office

It’s this time of year when I miss working in an office atmosphere. I recall the days when I worked as a national event specialist for a major bookstore chain where just outside my office was the bookstore. Sometimes I would take a stroll and place myself in the holiday mayhem of retail, helping customers find a particular book they read about in the New York Times. Often, they forgot the title and author. The details skimpy, I had to find what they wanted, usually enjoying the challenge. The buzz in the store was electrifying, the countdown to Christmas palpable.

Now, working from my home, I no longer get to taste the holiday cookies a fellow employee brings into work or hear the hum of activity beyond my office. I miss the surprise visits of friends who’d left the company but stop in to wish me a happy holiday or the authors who dropped by to give me a gift in appreciation of the event I hosted for them during the past year. It seems like eons ago, though, since I’ve been working from my home for over six years now.

A couple of days ago, however, UPS knocked on my door—nothing unusual about that since I often get a delivery of an advanced reader copy or box of books for publicity. This time, though, the package wasn’t from a publisher but a client. I opened the box to find a present wrapped in red with a sparkly bow. Even though there was no co-worker standing nearby to share in my excitement, I still enjoyed the experience when I pulled out a cashmere scarf and gloves. I broke the silence by beginning to hum, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells….and headed down the hallway back to my office that suddenly had a festive feel.

I wish everyone at Women for Hire and my fellow bloggers a very wonderful holiday and a successful, lucrative New Year!