Good Bye

On Sunday I got a phone call that my former boss at Special Hospital had died. I knew she was sick with cancer and no longer able to work, but I thought she'd be around longer. I guess most people thought she had a while longer. Just that day I had been formulating in my head-yet again-what I would say in the card I would send her.
I would say how much I appreciated her support when I was pregnant with twins and found out one of them was going to die. She told me I needed to do what I needed to do for myself and my job would be there. How I was able to take off 7 months with that pregnancy and the new life of Alex. How she worked with me to try and find a way to keep my job at part-time when it was evident I needed to resign to be with Alex. How she kindly tried to keep my pay level up when I switched to relief staff. How she was a good, fair leader. How she rememded me and others to be the best clinicians we could be. Somehow she managed to wade through the continual requirements for budget cuts and politics and still focus on evidenced-based practice. Her humor was great, her integrity strong. We swapped dog stories all the time- she had Gus I had Sierra. She told me I was different then any speech therapists she'd worked with before-and that was a compliment. I learned from her as a manager, she was my mentor during those years.
So sad am I that I never let her know all my thoughts. A life lesson I feel like I should have already learned-you just can't wait to let people know how and why you value and love them.

Dear K. I wish you much joy where ever you are. I will remember your clinical integrity, fair managerial style, easy-going nature and humor and try to incorporate them into my life in your honor. Thank you-