A Reason, Season or Lifetime
My grandpa was a firm believer that people come in and out of your life when you need … or no longer need … them the most. Sometimes they’re around for a little while and quietly slink away when you no longer rely upon them. Others become more of a mainstay … they’re the ones you know you can go to for anything, good or bad … they’re the ones who just seem to show up when you need them. I’ve had friends come and go all my life. We all have this experience. The ones who hang out forever are the ones I have strong connections with. It doesn’t matter how many decades or minutes I’ve known the person, I can always tell if s/he is a lifer. My “lifers” know who they are … some are close by and others are, well, appreciating squirrels in other places. That’s another story altogether!
In a society where my generation doesn’t stay put in a single job for very many years, those lifelong relationships that were once built at work are few and far between. Today, my office celebrated the retirement of one of our most loved professors, Dr. Sara Long Roth.
I first met Sara in 2002 when I was a graduate student. My boss at the time … who is also one of my lifers … introduced us by telling me Sara had just been promoted to full professor. Then she asked if I would mind catering Sara’s celebration party. Yep … that’s how we met … and we celebrated over six huge pans of homemade lasagna, salad, wine and who knows what else. We reminisced about that party today over pizza!
Sara has gone through good and bad with me … master’s degree and PhD graduations, frustrations at work, excitement at work, infertility (more like Dr. Niki and Mrs. Hyde!), adoption, Noodle’s birthday parties, the loss of my old dog, the adoption of a puppy, the loss of my grandparents and later my dad, and everything that fell in between. We’ve often talked while unwrapping Hershey’s Kiss’ or Reese’s peanut butter cups … sometimes as fast as we could. In 12 years, we’ve gone through enough of each to keep both companies afloat!
I told someone today that I am Sara’s “mini-me” because we have a lot of the same personality traits and come from similar backgrounds. We share a shoe addiction, although I’ve been warned my high-heel wearing days will come to an end eventually. Hmph. We share a love of etiquette books, gadgets, geek stuff, dogs (and Dawgs), wookies, green witches, and Captain Jack Sparrow … and taco pizza. Oh, the taco pizza!
I many ways, I consider Sara a mentor as much as a friend, and I will miss sitting in her office with my hand in the chocolate jar! Alas, all good things must come to an end and she deserves a very happy and fun-filled retirement. I know she will have just that … there’s a novel to be written! Even though I won’t see her every day at work, time will definitely be made for taco pizza.
