I am finally back from 11 weeks of maternity leave. My family welcomed beautiful Cora Leigh into the world in the early hours on January 29.
As my return got closer many people asked if I was ready to go back or commented “wouldn’t it be nice to stay home?” While I really enjoyed my time at home with Cora (and wearing yoga pants every day) many were surprised that I was ready to get back to work – I needed a routine, I missed my people, my work family. I was happy to see a pile of work waiting for me (my people need me).
Just like home where things had changed with the arrival of a baby things at work had changed some also. I returned to a dimly lit lab where our technician was working quietly at her bench while our department head typed away in her office. Our student workers had either graduated or moved on for the summer months and our conservator had moved to the east coast. It was quiet, almost like we were empty nesters.
Just as a family changes, changes are coming to this little library family I have – the students will be back before we know it (maybe even some new ones), a new conservator will join us, and we will also be welcoming a new dean of the library.
Thinking about these changes have made me realize that family is all around. Whether this is typical or not my work people are a family too. We help each other, we support each other, we work around each other’s quirks and we are there for each other on good days & bad. People come and go, additions are made, some leave forever, but most of all everyone is needed.
Library and Archives Preservation 