By: Maureen Pisanick, RD, LD
The old saying "time flies when you’re having fun" certainly does apply for the last 20 years! Annually I have had the privilege to author a piece each fall on gratitude - mostly around Thanksgiving as it seems so appropriate to me. This year, I took to writing and stopped in a moment of contemplation on this question - What does two decades of work in child nutrition look like from a lens of gratitude?
How it started?
Many of you have heard this story but humor me for those who haven’t. In 2004 I was facing a tough decision - continue the work I loved at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital or contemplate a career change. This career change was most notably not due to boredom, or lack of fulfillment in my current work, but more importantly how to strike what I yearned for - the ever elusive work/life balance as a mom. To say that was the most noble ambition in entering my job as a food service director would be a complete fabrication, but mine nonetheless. With the shift in schedule to Monday through Friday work, no nights or weekends I was completely thrilled and full of gratitude for the minutes in my day that I got back to reinvest in parenting my then 4 year old daughter. Today, I often reflect back and remind myself that sometimes even being grateful for the smallest things like minutes reinforces the many blessings I’ve had over the past twenty years by “momming hard” and “working hard” in tandem. I encourage you all to embrace this as a blessing of the work even when the days seem hard and long - linger in the time you have free to be with the ones you love most!
How it's going?
After 8 years as director in two wonderful school districts, and the past 12 helping an exponential client base of over 50 districts, I again think about the time well spent in transforming programs with a focus on wholesome meals to fuel the lives of our students. In researching the best way to encapsulate the so-called “highlight reel” I searched my google drive for “gratitude” and got lost in the numerous matches and memories that popped up! I wanted to share a few of the pearls of gratitude wisdom I uncovered.
#1 - The pandemic taught me more about gratitude than I ever could have imagined. Although I was surprised this was one of the first “hits” on my search, it became really clear after rereading my gratitude reflection that season at the end of the 2020-21 school year I was blown away by the gift that I never knew I needed. You see, it is often in times of strife, struggle, sadness, anxiety, or fear that we see the beauty in teamwork, problem solving, tenacity, and grit. I am so grateful for having survived and in some cases thrived through the immense work we all accomplished in that time - a true work of the heart. I am forever grateful to my team, the schools who “pivoted” and the hopefully once in a lifetime experience of feeding the students and souls of those we were able to support during such a difficult time. Gratitude in “the grit” is what I call this gift.
#2 - The Child Nutrition Summit, May of 2018, was one of the most momentous events in my 20 year career. Forever a fan of farm to school, and all things engaging professional development this adventure was the quintessential event for me! It took a whole village, along with creative thinking and partnerships to whip up this two day event. For those of you who didn’t attend, click here for a recap. We have since evolved to our Innovation Academy format which is a close second, but nothing beats the first time you see a sea of familiar faces smiling, learning and collaborating together. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to teach and serve up professional development that inspires and impacts our work in child nutrition - a feeling I don’t think can ever get old! For as my faith tells me “give a fish and eat for a day, teach to fish and eat for a lifetime” I pray in gratitude for the numerous opportunities to share what wisdom and knowledge that twenty years brings to those around me. Gratitude in giving is what I call this gift.
#3 - Nostalgia and personal reflections are stored alongside 20 years of work, so it wasn’t surprising for me to find the letters I have written to my daughter during her life's milestones thus far - namely graduating high school and then college in my search for google gratitudes. I am grateful for the ability to be a role model to my daughters by having a fulfilling career that allows for prioritizing not only a livelihood, but also a passion for service. Now as my 24 year old daughter pursues her career as a pediatric nurse, I have the ability to begin to appreciate reaping what I have sown in her - and what a blessing that is. How grateful I am for a career that shows my girls that in giving we truly do receive so many blessings!
The wonderful people I have met within this career are too numerous to mention, but with a heart full of gratitude as I conclude this blog I wanted to share some of my favs!
First, the love of my life, husband and partner in business, life and parenting, David. Who would have thought all those years ago as the story goes I was just a newbie food service director who swooned over a point of sale salesman with a big heart. Our lives intertwined just when I needed it most and the rest is history.
Second, my sage and longtime friend Suellen. From being on the board of the local school nutrition association, directors at neighboring school districts, and roommates at the Legislative Action Conferences, we shared then and now a passion for wellness, nutrition, and striving to build careers as devoted working moms. I want to be her when I grow up.
Last but not least, the woman I refer to affectionately as my work wife Kim. Without someone in your corner who so fiercely and loyally supports you in the office you really can’t achieve all “the things” that build your career into a true work of the heart. I believed in her and she believed in me right back - a true recipe for success in the administration of any program.
Now the call to action - put gratitude into practice into your daily routine by answering a simple question - what/who are you most grateful for? You won’t regret the trip down memory lane and also the hope for more “minutes” of gratitude in your days to come.
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