I'm Dear Abby

One of my colleague's mother had passed away late last week. I knew that this person was going on bereavement leave, but my manager quietly let me know on Monday that it was his mother.

The reason why my manager had disclosed this information was that he didn't know what to do. I became his go-to person for advice.

He isn't the strongest person writing heartfelt messages that express emotion. On the other hand, I'm perfectly fine emoting and expressing how I feel.

So, I helped him out. I indicated that we should send flowers to express our support. He showed me flower arrangements and I picked out one. Done.

I wrote a short note that he could cut and paste. I also recommended that he send the flowers to the funeral home for the visitation.

He thanked me directly and in an e-mail to our department. He also said that I was his Dear Abby.

I am good dishing out advice. I knew that as a young person (it sounds crazy, but I was and still am fairly wise for my age), but it was incredibly noticeable yesterday. It's always good to help someone out.

First day back at work and a sticky note message for my guy

I made it through working from home. Barely. Towards the end of my workday, I actually had to take it easy. I felt tired. Coughing up mucus will do that to a girl.

On a good note, I did get a few e-mails welcoming me back. That was nice. I have thoughtful colleagues.

Tomorrow, which is really today now, I will take a sick day. I need to rest and recover. We'll see how that goes.

I wrote my guy a brief e-mail. It's better than coughing up a storm and sounding like a guy over the phone. He's doing well. He can't wait to see me, but he wants me to get better soon with a ton of rest.

Before I left for Shanghai, I parked my car at work, walked over to his, and placed a sticky note on his driver-side window. It said, "Welcome home, CB!" He told me that he loved that. We were about four hours apart that day between his arriving and my leaving the city.

Anyway, I signed my e-mail with good girl. I like doing that, because it makes him tell me that I'm bad. It's fun.