Desk buddies

When I wrote my Joy to you and Me (at Work!) series years ago, one column talked about the importance of making your work surroundings as uplifting as possible. I remembered this while watching the movie 9 to 5 last week with my thoughts focused, like many of us recently, on Dolly Parton.

9 to 5 showed how dramatically employee morale rose when the three main characters took over the office and allowed everyone to decorate their work areas once again. The movie may be fiction, but this point is true.

I’m blessed to work from home in the front parlor of my old house, surrounded by multiple windows. To my left sits our piano, with family artwork, my Mom’s kaleidoscope, and three thriving plants on top (miraculously, I’ve kept them alive for two years now!) Cheerful artwork on the walls surrounds me.

Photo by Amy Shankland

To my right on my desk, I have photos of my husband, sons, siblings, and of my parents in their teens. And finally, I have what I affectionately call my “desk buddies” – Little Jesus, Praying Guy, and the Heart That Changed My Life. Everyone should have desk buddies like these.

Little Jesus is there to remind me who I really work for. My particular figurine is wearing my favorite color – blue. His cheerful smile helps lift my spirits when one of my clients receives a grant rejection (ugh!) or shares in my joy when we receive a grant award.

Praying Guy hangs out beside Jesus, which I believe is a picture of how things really work in life. Fellow columnist, friend, and recent birthday gal Jan Hart Leonard gave Praying Guy to me a couple of years ago. He’s also blue, which I don’t think is a mere coincidence.

Praying Guy’s role is to remind me of what to do when I’m having “one of those days.” To lift me up when I hit another brick wall on my author journey. And to remind me of the first thing I need to do when something good happens in my life.

The Heart That Changed My Life reads “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” I’ve had this on my desk for years. One morning in 2021, I found it sitting on my keyboard when I was struggling to make a major decision about how to publish a book. I never found out how the heart moved to that spot, but as soon as I saw it, I immediately knew the correct path for publication.

If you work in an office, who are your “desk buddies”? What can you put on your desk to help lift you up, motivate you, and increase your productivity? If you don’t have a desk, maybe you can have a locker or cubby buddy.

Our surroundings at work make all the difference. There was a time in my life when I worked in a dark, windowless office. I thank God often for windows letting in sunlight, plants to bring in a bit of nature, art, and most of all, my desk buddies.

Amy Shankland is an empty-nester, writer, and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John and two dogs. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.