Another Goodbye, To Someone I Call Friend

Many years ago...maybe 24 or 25, my Husband and I decided that we would like to start a family. What we thought was going to be an easy transition, became a long and tedious one. During that time, when we were trying to start our family, things were not going so well. I came to the decision that the job I was currently doing, was not conducive to conceiving and raising a family. In one of those synchronicity moments, a job opened up at my workplace, but it was Christmas, I was busy and I didn't apply. One day a week or so later, the person who's department had the job opening, came into the Tape Library where I worked and we began to talk. I mentioned in passing that I had thought seriously about applying for the Traffic job in her department. She turned to me and said "Apply for it!"

So I took her advice and did so. 3 months passed and not a word was said. I figured she had gotten someone else, or they took the job away (a reality of life for a PBS Station, where money runs out right before the end of the fiscal year).

At the beginning of March of 1989 she came by the Library and said to me, that it had taken months of interviews, but if I still wanted the job...it was mine. That was how I became a Broadcast Operations Coordinator, the job I currently hold.

Though she is several years younger then me, she had an incredible command of our job and department and was absolutely awesome at anything she put her mind to. I learned from a master and any traffic skills I have, were gotten from her. She was my boss for something like 18 years and though we had our ups and downs, her life and mine, intertwined with not only our work, but our having and raising our children. Her daughter is 8 months older then my son and her son is 13 months younger. It was a hard couple of years...but we made it work for us. The photo above was taken during that time. She is the one wearing the hat, sitting on my couch, at my second wedding. She had a 4 month old baby at home and in spite of that, she made the effort to be there for me. I, of course, was 3 months pregnant with my son. A situation that I have mentioned, so many times before.

Though I have not worked closely with her for several years, Thursday was her last day at my workplace...more downsizing.

She will be missed by me.