Have I ever mentioned I love my boss?

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And no, she doesn’t read this blog,… I don’t think.

My boss is one of those rare people who do good things for the heck of it. Just loves people and extends gracious generosities where ever she goes. It’s weird!

I first met her when I had just had Lil’ E. I was still trying to finish up my degree in Journalism and we were so desperately needing money. We made like 1,200 a month, net, and I had no idea how I would avoid going back to work at Starbucks while my starving baby who refused a bottle cried in the arms of some one that could never love him as much as I do- (lol, aren’t my descriptions of a babysitter just lovely! what an opinionated lady I can be sometimes!) I heard through the grapevine that a community group at our church needed some one to come hang (paid) with the children while the ladies met for lunch once a week. That’s where I met my future boss, as week after week no one with kids showed up, so we got to introduce ourselves and chit chat a bit.

She told me she worked in publishing, so I dropped the line that if ever there was a lead on some work I could do from home, I’d be very interested in getting my foot in the door.

A few months later, I got a call that her team needed some one to do some basic data entry stuff, for about $10 an hour 5-10 hours a week. Like, holy crap that’s an extra 50-100 a week I can make to get groceries- duh, yes, I’ll do it!

From there I just continued to do my work, knowing very little about the company, not very integrated into the whole picture, just doing my little spreadsheets.

Who would have thought that the more I helped out, the more work I was willing to take on, that I would now make more than double that hourly rate and have at least 30-40 hours a week of work available to me as I continue to take on higher level tasks over a year and a half later? And to be able to do this from home, to be able to never pay for day care in my son’s life, is like, … “ahhhhhh” angels singing.

I shared last weekend that this situation has some double edge sword’s to it. Doubling up on the work of being full time caregiver to a growing toddler while handling larger responsibilities and consistent day time hours through out the week- it was becoming a bit unbearable. The stress and guilt of having either my son or my job fall through the cracks kept me up at night, as I saw no other choice to my predicament.

Again, who would have thought, but finally I saw an opportunity to share this struggle with my way awesome boss, and just like that, easy as pie, she accepts my proposal of daily “check in times” and the rest of my hours are flexible and around my family schedule. Um, WHAT? And not before she flatters my ego with encouragement and positive review.

I write this not only to update you readers/friends/fam on the situation, but to also point out that a small handful of Forbes 400 Best Big Companies, let alone individual boss’ within such companies, would actually encourage family priorities to top the employee’s list. When a company is willing to allow telecommuting and will work with an employee’s home life and family needs, they will find that most will work hard and efficiently in their loyalty and gratitude to that business. I can’t say enough about the opportunity I’ve been given to be able to devote myself to motherhood AND put my skills and work ethic to use for a paycheck reward! I feel so bad for those who don’t have such opportunities and I can only encourage employer’s to consider the rewards of employing educated, smart, hard working mother’s who can be an asset to a company without having to come in and sit at a cubicle.

That’s all folks.