“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live.” Ez 33:11

Today was a great day. It started out with the kids being up early, due to the new hectic schedule that is in our house. With the wife starting a new job this week, things have been really busy, and for some reason, really long as well. Today was a beautiful Florida day, with the highs getting into the 70’s. Sorry to those people that live north of here, but, it is one of the perks to living here.

My day started earlier than I wanted, but that is expected when the new routine for the kids is being up at 6 am. They do not value a good sleep in as I do. What can I do? I got up with the kids. The wife was off to work, and for the first time in a few months, I was here alone with them. So, we had breakfast, laid in bed watching TV for a little while, then we went to lunch with Grandma (my mom). That is always a fun afternoon, eating, catching up, watching the kids play. It is always a help when she is here, and I do miss my mom when I don’t see her for a while. Thank goodness she is close.

Now, here it is, nap time. Time for Dad to have a little me time, and time to have the kids not be so…. well, little devils because they are tired. So, at this point, I would have been sitting in the office watching the Facebook feed flow by. Today, since it is no longer something I really need, instead, I re-read this mornings liturgy. You can have it delivered to your email inbox, if you visit http://www.usccb.org. It is a good way to start of the day, in my opinion at least. Anyway, the Gospel today is from Luke, Chapter 5:27-30. This is the story of Jesus having a banquet at the house of the tax collector Levi. Tax collectors were not an elected office back then, they were actually seen as the scum off someone’s shoes, because they worked for the Romans. I can relate to how they must have felt, to be looked down upon because of their occupation.

In my role as a manager, it is my job to make sure my team is running smooth, but in turn, they trust me not to embarrass them by my actions as well. Everything that I do is a reflection on them, just as everything they do is a reflection on me. That is part of being the boss. If you work for someone who is a bully in the office, or closed minded, there is always a certain opinion that is cast upon you, even though it is your boss that is acting that way. Like it or not, it is the perception, and even though it is not a reality, it does make people form an opinion. That is why, I have to put my people first in my job. Just like the tax collectors, just because they worked for the Romans, they were treated poorly and labeled because of their leaders.

I am not saying that this happens all the time, but if you have ever ask someone or been asked, ‘how can you work for that person?’ then chances are you either judge or have been judged, and put into a category. It is my job to make sure my actions never put my team in that position. I say this because everyone needs to be seen by their own talents and contributions, not because of something that I have said or done. Have I messed up trying to do this? Yes, I have on many occasions. When I do, it’s one of the worst feelings. I do my best to correct it, and not do it again. Today’s Gospel just reminded me that we all need to look at each other in a different way, and not through the lens of someone’s occupation or leader.