I've been thinking about what I do at work and I'm trying to think about it in the way you are as a legal secretary. I work for a local branch of a life insurance company and I am the office manager. I spend so much time putting out fires and getting stressed out that I don't think enough about the good things I do. I, too, try to minimize the amount of stress for my boss and the other sales reps by making sure that things go as smoothly as possible...of course, that often adds to my stress, but I will try to think of it differently..perhaps that will help me.

Also, I handle most of the death claims that come thru the office. I am often the one who gets the call from the family and I work with them to make things happen as quickly as possible. Often they think they have to call the moment someone has died (you don't) and they are in tears or shock from grief. I try to be as much of a comfort to them as I can so that they can at least feel assured that their insurance will be there for them. I am the one who starts their claim and coordinates the paperwork for them, often arranging for a rep to visit them in their home to deliver checks or get signatures on forms. Sometimes it is just heart wrenching, but usually rewarding when the claim is settled. Many people think insurance and think bad things but I see the real good that comes from it and the pain that comes when someone realizes they don't have enough, or the family finds out that mom or dad had to cash in their policies and there isn't enough to cover a burial.

Anyway, it is helpful to break down what you do sometimes to realize your worth. Thanks.