One day, Pam was building something. Something new. Something special. Something amazing. Pam was so proud. But then, out of nowhere, layoffs were announced.

Michael was the first to notice Pam’s distress.

“Hey, hey. Oh no, what a shame. I’m so sorry this happened. Let me explain how they created the spreadsheet that identified who was looped into the RIF.”

But Pam didn’t feel like talking about spreadsheets. So Michael left.

Next came Dwight, shouting,

“Unacceptable! We should broadcast this on social media, let the world see it!”

But Pam didn’t feel like rage-tweeting. So Dwight left.

Following Dwight, Toby, from HR, suggested,

“Let’s navigate the employee rights and benefits together, Pam. You should be aware of all support options.”

But Pam didn’t feel like combing through a 900-page PDF. So Toby also left.

One by one, they came.

Creed, the Quality Assurance Director, encouraged Pam to

“embrace the chaos, stir the pot a little. You never know what might float to the top!”

Stanley, from Sales, suggested

“Let’s cold-call competitors!”

And Angela, from IT Security, whispered

“Pam, sometimes the best revenge is a little network outage.”

Despite their efforts, Pam didn’t feel like doing anything with anybody. So, eventually, they all left.

Until Pam was alone.

In the quiet breakroom, Pam didn’t even notice Jim standing at the counter. Slowly he moved closer, and closer, with Girl Scout cookies in hand.

Until Pam could feel his reassuring presence and smell the Thin Mints.

Together they sat in silence until Pam said,

“I’m glad you’re here, Jim. Mind if I snag a cookie?”

Jim listened. Jim listened as Pam talked. Jim listened as Pam shouted. Jim listened as Pam remembered. And laughed. Jim listened to Pam’s plans to stir chaos, to call competitors… to delete files, and eat all the cookies.

Through it all, Jim never left. And when the time was right, Jim listened to Pam’s plan to build again.

“I can’t wait,”

Pam said.

“It’s going to be amazing.”

Cori Doerrfeld’s “The Rabbit Listened” served as the inspiration for this adaptation. Parents out there might be familiar with that story; it’s really quite sweet.

As you navigate the ever-shifting landscapes of both work and home, I hope this adapted story serves as a reminder to appreciate those who lend an empathetic ear, offer understanding, and provide support.

Consider reaching out to a friend, a colleague, or a family member—become the ‘Jim’ for someone in need.