Good day to give and receive!

So I found myself being a little elf this morning buying giftcards and writing cards to my coworkers and my therapist before work. It felt so so good to give to those who have supported me through thick-and-thin in my life and at this job. Last night I went to do a little Christmas shopping and I found myself feeling depressed because so much reminded me of him...to the point where I contemplated buying something and mailing it to him. I have a good and loving soul. He knows this. I think our love was cut too quickly on his accord for more reasons than he had mentioned. That is my opinion of the matter at this point in time. So as I was elfing around today, I felt really good about giving to those who have helped me. I got in to work, handed out a few giftcards, and then I saw the dreaded red light show up on my phone, indicating that I have a voice mail. Time to kill my fun gifting because my client has arrived? No...it was a voice message from "upstairs", the big boss people who make the financial decisions from approving CEU courses to salaries. The person who left the voice message indicated that I wasn't in trouble and shouldn't worry, and asked me to come upstairs when I had the chance before my first client. A coworker clued me in before that this news is "good", but didn't want to spoil the surprise for me. So I walk upstairs, heart pounding, not knowing what I was going to get...and guess what? As of January 1, I got a bump in my salary! A raise! A much-needed raise! I am so close to my LCSW licensure that it will increase more once I'm fully licensed. Happy Birthday, Christmas, and New Years to me! He would be the first one I would tell, but the ones that truly are there for me shine during such times. I called my parents and then my friends! Now back to work, so I can actually prove that I deserve this raise! :P