So, I’m doing this FABULOUS internship this summer, which I wasn’t particularly overly qualified for, but I have a friend in the biz, and he trusted me enough to pull some strings.
Needless to say, it’s a wonderful internship, a possible career choice, and I’ve earned tons of brownie points staying well past closing time (6pm) a bunch, and even a few nights past midnight.
The dilemma: Five years ago, right after my grandfather died, my grandmother decided for her birthday to have a family reunion (she’s got three sons, and the 10 of us grandkids) on the beach for a week. And this year, it’s her 75th birthday, and she’s doing it again.
The same week of the firm’s BIG MOVE. The firm that is comprised of 3 full time associates, one other intern (who doesn’t put in as many hours due to school schedule) and a whole crapload of files.
And to make matters even more interesting, when I skipped my cousin’s Bar Mitzvah 2 years ago to go to the Millenium March in DC, I was reprimanded for months before and after.
Help? Anyone?
Well, it can’t take a whole week to move the job, especially a place with only 5 employees, and Grandma had better understand that unless she leaves you enough money to be independently wealthy and not have to worry about employment, she can’t expect you to get a week off work. So you are going to do both. Work like a dog getting the place moved and then spend one or two days at the beach.
And two years ago you didn’t skip the bar mitzvah because of work, but because of your own preference, so she’s allowed to gripe. But not about work.
Well, I guess I’d ask myself if at my grandmother’s funeral I’d be saying, “Yep, I sure am glad I skipped her big birthday bash to help move that company I used to work for,” or “Wow, I’m really glad I got to spend that special time with grandma. Who knew she’d be taken from us so soon.”
I know what I’d rather be saying.
I can’t stand family pulling the ‘guilt trip’.
Is it possible for you to squeeze both in, as Kittenblue suggested ?
BTW, which event did you know about first ? The granny bash, or that the company would need your help to move ?
I can’t stand bosses who insist that business stuff comes before family.
I don’t even want to think about why I first read this as “Grandma’s Hand Job”
Impressive references be damned. Well, not really, but don’t get into the habit of putting the job before family. Take Calliope’s advice. Remember, no matter how much you enjoy your job, you should always enjoy your family first. You’ll never regret the things you didn’t do for your company like you will the things you didn’t do for your family.