I know if someone were to ask me what makes me happy, I would say a list of a few things that come to mind right off the top of my head.  These things include my family, my friends, and my pets among other things that I enjoy.  I have a lot of great things in my life, but one great thing that I really enjoy is my job at Cardinal of Minnesota.  I am currently a Residential Supervisor and Program Director of a home in Spring Valley.  When I tell people that one of our “Culture Musts” around here is having fun, they look at me like I have spoken in a different language.  However, this is true, and we take our jobs very seriously around here with having fun.  Our clients and staff really enjoy getting out in the community and doing as much as we possible can to meet our goal of “having fun”.  This does not just pertain to things in the community but fun at home as well.

At any given time coming into our house named “Valley Crest”, you will most likely hear some type of music playing.  Many times I have walked in to a full-on dance party in the living room, or a baking party, or a game night.  This is not unusual in the slightest and our clients are delighted every day by my wonderful staff that work here.  When I ask my clients on the weekends what the “plan is” for the weekend they always tell me “I don’t know, but we are doing something” with a big smile on their faces!

When 2020 hit and other people struggled to figure out what to do to keep busy, we just kept trucking along with doing the things at home that we have already been doing the entire time.  We did not skip a beat in the slightest and we do not plan on slowing down anytime soon.  Holidays are always a fun time around here as well.  All of the clients here have wonderful families that are very involved in the house as well, which makes things feel even more like a big old family.

So, my question for you is: what makes you happy?  What are some things that bring joy into your life every day?  If you are feeling like you may need some happiness in your life, then I think working for Cardinal of Minnesota might just be the ticket.  Think about it you get to make a difference in peoples lives every single day, and what can be better than that?  The list of things we do here at cardinal are endless but some highlights from the year include: A grill master contest, bowling, basketball, movies, game night, dance workouts, dodgeball, going out to eat, parades, fairs, church events and the list goes on and on.  It’s funny how sometimes I think to myself that my reaction to winning a new car would be about the same as me telling our clients that we got diet dew and popcorn to have a movie night at home.  The small things that we enjoy and take for granted each day are some of the biggest things that our clients enjoy.  Something as small as a soda can bring pure happiness to our clients.

Remember that sometimes the little things turn out to be some of the biggest!  Be kind and give yourself some happiness, you deserve it!

Tonya Burke RS/PD