It's A Wonderful Life, Little Merry Sunshine!

I remember at one point in August as I was in full-mourning for Nana, my stress level was sky-high, I couldn't figure out how to deal with the weight of the world on my shoulders, and famous people who had an impact on my life were dropping like flies, I turned to a friend and said, "I just can't wait for the Summer to be over and Fall to arrive." I honestly believed that with the change of seasons, my life would get better, the joy I usually feel would return, and fun would pop up here and there. I even wrote about it.

Boy, was I right!

This weekend was all about trips down memory lane. I had expected this given that it was Homecoming & Reunion Weekend at Lake Forest College and the Class of 1994 was celebrating their 15th reunion (I was a RA in the freshman dorm that year and I had quite a few friends in that class) and it was my own 20th high school reunion. What I did not expect was that I would also reunite with one of my dearest friends from Washington DC, Karen Hardwick.

Karen emailed me through Facebook on Friday morning saying she knew it was the last second, but she and her boyfriend were coming to Chicago for 24 hours and wanted to know if I could have coffee. Without even knowing when or where she wanted to meet, I replied, "YES! YES! YES!" All I knew was that I'd drive any distance at any time to see Karen. 9 1/2 years since I'd last seen her were 9 1/2 years too many.

The weekend was a whirlwind of activity taking me from Arlington Heights to Lake Forest to Palatine to Chicago, with very little sleep. I saw friends I've known since Kindergarten; the first boy I ever had a crush on; my first husband; my debate partner; friends I sang in the church choir with; friends who had the misfortune good fortune to have me as their freshman year RA in Deerpath; friends I experienced Washington DC with for the first time in 1985; and a mentor and friend who found Betsey and Ross for me, never let me settle for less than perfect, gave me a West Wing tour, and will always be connected to me because of all that we survived in the wee hours of the morning at Hogan that no one else will ever understand (I don't think it was physically possible to work more hours than we did).

The last few months have been Hell. I actually had moments where I wondered it if was all worth it and if the gut-wrenching emotional and physical pain I felt would ever end. I couldn't see any light in the tunnel, but this weekend, in less than 72 hours, I found the light shining brightly as I revisited just about each of my 38 years. I was reminded just how blessed I am and how much my life has had an impact on others. I learned how I have far more fans of Little Merry Sunshine than I ever imagined. In each friend, I saw moments that shaped my life, made me the woman I am today, and heard stories I never knew about. In short, I lived my own Frank Capra movie.

As the wise angel Clarence wrote to George Bailey, "no man is a failure who has friends." And I've got friends in spades.

Generosity Rules!

You've probably heard about this story on the national news - I saw it on CNN and the NBC news tonight - but I actually read about it on Friday and don't know why it took me so long to write about it.

During these tough economic times when so many businesses are going under, many more are laying people off, and even more are cutting back or eliminating holiday bonusess altogether (note: If you're the CEO of a financial institution or one of the Big 3, you must not get a holiday bonus for the rest of your life), it's heartwarming to see an employer that went out of their way to reward their employees.

Waukegan business gives out giant bonuses
Associated Press in the Daily Herald, November 28, 2008

Dave Tiderman wondered if the decimal point was in the wrong place when he opened his $35,000 company bonus. Jose Rojas saw his $10,000 check and thought, "That can't be right."

Valentin Dima watched co-workers breaking down in tears over their bonus checks and didn't trust his emotions. He drove home first, then opened his envelope: $33,000.

Year-end bonuses are rare these days. Rarer still is what the Spungen family, owners of a ball bearings company in Waukegan did as they sold the business.

They gave out whopping thank-you bonuses.

A total of $6.6 million is being shared by just 230 employees of Waukegan-based Peer Bearing Co., with facilities in England and the United States. Amounts varied and were based on years of service.

"They treated us like extended family," said Maria Dima, who works at Peer Bearing along with her husband, Valentin, and received a somewhat smaller check than he did. "We won the lottery."

With $100 million in sales last year, Peer recently was acquired by a Swedish company for an undisclosed amount. Danny Spungen, whose grandfather founded the company in 1941, said it was a unanimous family decision to thank employees with the bonuses.

Laurence and Florence Spungen and their four children decided on a bonus formula a year before the sale closed to SKF Group, "a gamble that we would come out OK as well," Danny Spungen said.

He and other family members signed, by hand, two thank-you cards to each employee, one in Spanish and one in English. Each card was printed with all the workers' names and the years they were hired. The text expressed gratitude for "the loyalty and hard work of our employees over the years."

Nathan Spungen, who died in 1990, would have approved, Danny Spungen, 47, said. He noted the elder Spungen was generous with customers who owed money. "My grandfather was always charitable," he said.

The new owners intend to operate Peer as a wholly owned subsidiary. Workers have been told that most will keep their jobs, and life at the company hasn't changed much since the party in mid-September when the bonuses were distributed.

Rojas, who works in Peer's customer service department, said he saw fellow employees do "double-triple takes" that day. He plans to save his money for his son's college education.

Tiderman, who started with Peer in 1985 and worked his way up from the warehouse to assistant product manager, said most of his bonus will stay in the bank because of the uncertain economy.

"I do have to put some tires on my truck," he added.

Incongruously, the bonuses coincided with the nation's economic meltdown. While neighbors and friends faced new financial strains, the Peer employees could breathe easier.

"I know people who work for corporate America are not going to get treated like that. And most of the family owned businesses are not going to treat you like that," Tiderman said. "This is something that just really doesn't happen."

Valentin and Maria Dima, who emigrated from Romania after the 1989 revolution, are nearing retirement. They took a Caribbean cruise after getting their checks.

"This company gave us stability, so we dare to spend some money on such a thing," Valentin Dima said.

There was one more gesture of generosity this week. The Spungen family kept a tradition alive by pre-ordering a Thanksgiving gift for workers before selling the company.

"Everybody got a turkey," Maria Dima said.
___

On the Net: http://www.peerbearing.com/