You belong

As we turn the corner on one of the toughest years in recent memory, I felt I'd be remiss if I didn't at least share words of appreciation and encouragement with my colleagues. Drawing from my personal experiences has been my fondest method in finding the right things to say, and the past week has been no exception as I took all open opportunities to thank my colleagues. Notwithstanding my mental reminders, I couldn't avoid driveling in clichés nor lengthening the dialogue aimlessly with open ended questions like, "anything else you want to talk about?" Selfishly, I just didn't want to let them go or end the call without confirming that my over-bearing platitudes sufficiently communicated my appreciation.

The prolonged remote-work arrangement has admittedly tested the limits of my humanity and awareness--most importantly, it has challenged my sense of belonging. I'm certain that my stubborn refusal to allow the adverse affects of the pandemic to impact my diehard commitment to excellence revealed a less sympathetic and empathetic individual, causing some to emotionally distance themselves and question whether they belong. Perhaps, because I slowly became acutely aware of my colleagues drifting away and losing faith in their sense of belonging, I may have sought to cheaply lend the power of clichés. Here is an attempt to rectify that cringe-inducing mistake--

My colleagues. In the last seven months, we've experienced humbling successes and teary disappointments in manners that caused us to question our collective sense of belonging. Unlike bonuses and promotions, I believe with absolute conviction that sense of belonging isn't a reward for delivering on unwavering commitment to excellence; rather, it's a result of staying the course by trusting in the unwavering commitment to each other. Success and failures alike don't dictate whether or not you belong; you determine that. And you belong. Not simply because of the countless examples of your excellent work; but because of your devotion and commitment to always going to bat for me and the others. And as I, too, stay the course in my unwavering commitment to you, it has been one of my greatest pleasures to realize how to show you my appreciation without using clichés.

You belong.