"Do you know anyone?"

Last Monday I went to physical therapy. At the end of an hour and a half workout, Brian was working on my ankle when he beckoned Deann over to ask if they had any prospects for a new therapy aide. It's kind of a blur, but eventually he turned to me and said, "Do YOU know anyone who would want to be an aide?" That's when the bottom dropped out and everything slowed down. The wheels in my head began to grind as I mentally raised my hand. I wanted to work here. I'd known it from my very first appointment. As details of the job unfolded, I went from daydreaming about it to actually considering applying. Twice a week, afternoon to evening. I could actually make this happen! I talked to Aaron about it that night. He was nothing but encouraging. I was more than a little terrified. Was I really going to do this? Homeschool my kids and work part time on top of everything else? I emailed Brian the next day. He asked me to officially apply.
I planned on dropping in to pick up an application on the way home from the kids karate class on Wednesday. I had a car full of smallish ninjas and my baby nephew sleeping in his carseat. I'd just leave the twelve year old in charge and let the baby sleep while I ran in really quick. The front office was a blur of controlled chaos. It was obviously a really busy time. Brian waved from the back. Danny and Brad buzzed through, a little confused as to why I was there and not on the schedule. "She's applying to join the team," De explained as she handed me an application. "No way!" "Nice" There were fist pumps and high fives. My surety that I wanted to work there became more solid. We spend a lot of life searching for tribes- for a sense of belonging, and then sometimes a tribe finds you. You just get dropped into the middle of them and they decide to keep you. I didn't dare assume that I deserved to be there. I did however, dare to hope that I might.
"Fill this out and get it back fast!" De instructed as she handed me the paperwork.
"Should I fill it out now?"
"If you have time, that would be best."
"I have a car full of kids..."
"Take a clipboard and do it out there."
I was not prepared. The giant baby had woken up and Talon had decided to take him out of the carseat to roam the death mobile filled with baby hazards. I'd only gotten a few lines down the page when my heart sank into my stomach. "Previous work experience." "References." My mind went blank, and all of the MLM, self employment, mommy work I'd done in the past dozen years seemed like silly pretend when I tried to put it in ink. The sparse work experience from before motherhood felt like eons ago. I filled out the little boxes and lines with my head whirring, ran it back inside, strapped the now-angry giant baby into his carseat, seat-belted the circus, and drove away with a million regrets flying through my mind. I had not represented myself well. Here this job was practically set in my lap on a silver platter, and I was going to blow it! The moment we got home I put the babe in the highchair with snacks and the older kids watching over him, and raced upstairs to type up a resume to email to Brian. I didn't know how to write a resume for 13 years of the hardest work in the world punctuated by random bouts of entrepreneurship. I did my best. It was a far cry better than my application attempt. I emailed it in with an apology and went back to being the rockin'est mommy and auntie in the land while I waited.
 I needn't wait long. Deann called that same afternoon to set up an "interview" with Brian for Thursday. "Interview" is in quotations because the chat about how awesome it was gonna be to work together, and how "this was so meant to be" was unlike any interview I've ever had. A hug and a high five. That's how we ended it.
Last Monday I went to physical therapy. This Monday I started the raddest job that I never expected to have.
Why is it the raddest job? Because it's not about the money. It's not even about the skill set. It's not about cleaning therapy spaces, hooking up e-stim or traction, learning ultrasound, filling ice packs, overseeing exercises, filling out charts, and doing laundry.  It's about the people. I get to rub shoulders with the most caring and kind humans, as we work together to help broken, humbled, determined people find out how amazing they are. We help them get up and live again. I get to help do for others what was done for me. There is something so powerful in that.
I am so grateful. So blessed