It’s time to hold out that thank you leaf to your support team in office! Read how a toddler prepares for bigger things in life, along with how to fight fair in an argument. The edition rounds off with a different take on being there for your friends. Jump in…

Ryan, the eccentric colleague we have, has some serious ideas about having fun this Admin Pro Day. So what is his new recipe? Ryan feels that admin pros can do a better job if they enjoy the stress! Actually he’s trying to convey that admin pros can be better at their jobs if they realize and accept that stress is a part of their job. It’s part of the job profile. Ryan says, “Stress is sometimes good for you! It keeps you focused!” I think maybe he has a point here. We all know and dread stress levels in our bodies. This is more so for all those admin pros who have too many things on their plate to manage. I think if they accepted that they have nothing to do to reduce the stress, they can deal better.

Meanwhile, our office is gearing up to thank all the admin pros working for us. Like every other year, this is an occasion of gratefulness for us. If you are a boss and you haven’t thought about thanking your admin pro with a special something, make sure you get careful about what you are drinking in the coffee cup! I’m just kidding here! They are all lovely human beings and do a plenty of good, every single day of the year. Imagine what life would be without someone to help you out with your erratic schedule and forgetful mind. Think of a day without the admin pro and you will need no further encouragement to send them something as appreciation.

Someone will be really active this Earth Day! That’s Eleanor’s grandson Andrew. His preschool will be organizing a small event. Andrew will take the stage in a large cut-out of the planet. Lisa, his mother, tried to paint it for him but failed. His father being very busy, the task fell on his grandparents. Of course, Eleanor and Frank were more than willing to help out. Eleanor had different ideas. She wanted Andrew to know what is going on and take an active part in the proceedings. So, Eleanor took Andrew out for a walk downtown. Eleanor wanted him to soak in the colors of Spring.

Eleanor has always told me that it’s always good to help someone out. But there’s a catch, she says. “You must not make that person cripple through your help,” Eleanor tells me. I agree with her. When we help out our near ones, sometimes we make them dependent. In a similar situation sometime later on, they have this tendency to turn around for help again. That limits the ability of the person to strike it out on his own. In a way, we do more harm helping out than by not doing so. Eleanor doesn’t want her grandson to be dependent on anyone for any sort of support. And her intentions are pretty clear early on!

I keep regaling you with stories about Rick and Kaitlin fighting! In the course of watching one of their fights, I was trying to find out a reason why they are together despite this bickering. I was amazed that they still want to be with each other with such ferocious zeal. That is when I noted that there is a method to this madness. Kaitlin and Rick actually fight without stepping on each others dignity. They never stoop to name calling and generally don’t bring up the past to make a point. They are always looking at a positive outcome of their love battles, even though they are fighting about something like the toothpaste cap.

The most striking feature about their squabbles is that they are willing to forgive. They begin afresh every single time, with a clean slate. Rick likes buying this and that for Kaitlin when they are not talking to each other! Kaitlin is willing to overlook Rick’s umpteenth promise to behave well when her friends are around. They also concede territory and accept their faults when they have calmed down a little. I have seen them laugh at their own clashes later on. I see in them a couple who have decided to be with each other always, no matter what. And it is their strength in love that keeps them going at each others throats with renewed vigor!

Have you ever wondered that our friendships are guided by certain laws? It may come across like a rude shock to all those out there who feel that a friendship that is governed by laws is no friendship at all. But that is the case actually. Don’t you follow the rule that you should not go on an overdrive of advice and I-told-you-so afterthoughts when all your friend needs is a patient listener? Don’t you stop yourself from overshooting the unwritten law that you must not speak ill of the person your friend is dating? Even if you loathe that person, you try to explain to your friend why it is a bad match in your opinion. You suggest positively, never get into downright criticism. If these are not laws of friendship, what are?

There are some who feel that friendship means you have to be there for your friend with a plan of action. Have you wondered about those times when your friend knows what to do but just feels hesitant? Then your friend needs your encouragement more than anything else. And I feel the best way you can be there for your friend is by actually doing something rather than telling the friend what can be done. This is exactly where actions speak louder than words. Your one act of bonding will cement your friendship for ages to come. Get on with it: act!

Here’s a William Arthur Ward quote for all those bosses out there who are yet to think of something special for their admin pro: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”