A Season of Gratitude and Reflection
Here are my Top 8 Things I’m grateful for in 2020:
1) Outdoor Walks: Going on long nature walks has been a saving grace for me during these times of the pandemic. Stepping away from my computer and iPhone to get some fresh air has given me clarity and gratitude for living in the present moment.
2) Family Bonding: I am very blessed to be a Nashville native and have my parents, brother, and sister-in-law, plus my nieces nearby to lean on during this time. I’ve enjoyed more quality time with them than I have in the past few years, plus I have found an even deeper sense of gratitude for them.
3) Slowing Things Down: Before the pandemic, I always felt like I was “flying by the seat of my pants,” with various professional and social obligations and commitments. The pandemic has forced me all to slow down, and because of that, I have found myself enjoying more enriching “Me Time,” whether that be riding my at-home cycling bike, or watching a new TV show with a nice cozy drink.
4) Becoming an Empathic Listener: Civil unrest, social justice, and the importance of diversity, equality & inclusion in our world has made me stop, think, and empathetically listen. I’m still learning a lot and have a lot more to learn about this, but I’m thankful for the resources IABC has provided our members and me in keeping these important conversations going.
5) Online Learning: Thanks to the hard work of our VP of Professional Development, Jessica Hopson, and various members of the Executive Board, our professional development series has not skipped a beat! Even though we’ve gone virtual with our events, the quality of our topics and presenters have been stronger than ever!
6) Virtual Celebrations: Just because we haven’t been able to be with each other in-person doesn’t mean we haven’t been celebrating! Our 2020 Music City Gold Pen Awards was a celebration I will always cherish, and I am so proud of our chapter for keeping our awards program alive this year. A big thank you to our VP Awards and Communications, Kellie Davie, for the countless hours spent on putting our virtual awards program together.
7) Health: The quality of our health and those around out has never been more apparent than this year. I am grateful for my own personal health and that of my loved ones and colleagues. I am fortunate to work in healthcare and witness first-hand the dedication of our doctors, nurses, and first-responders who have put their own health on the line to fight this pandemic.
8) Community: Despite going virtual, our IABC Nashville community is stronger than ever, thanks to the hard work of our social media and membership initiatives. A big thank you to our VP of Social Media/President-Elect, Kerry Burke, for keeping our community engaged, and to our VP of Membership, Kristin Appelman, for all her work organizing our virtual networking mixers.
Mollye Dietrich currently serves as the President for the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Nashville chapter. With over seven years’ experience with HCA Healthcare, Mollye is one of HCA’s Senior Communications Specialist specializing in internal corporate communications for the Clinical Services Group (CSG). She has experience in corporate communications, copywriting, email marketing, social media marketing, strategic communications, brand awareness, copy editing, proofreading, graphic design, public relations, and event planning. Previously, she served as an Instructional Designer at HCA using adult-learning techniques to create engaging clinical content and work experience in the sales and retail industries.
