We had a grief counselor at the office today, helping some of our employees through the recent and sudden loss of a beloved, long-time employee. As I was leaving an afternoon meeting, I saw the counselor packing up her papers, getting ready to head out.
I stopped and thanked her for being available for our staff.
“Leslie must have had a really good spirit,” she said. “There is a lot of love here for her.”
Today, I am thankful for the 19+ years I experienced that really good spirit.
Leslie and I worked together on and off as each of us changed roles over the years. For most of the last ten years, she was a customer service supervisor on my leadership team. We both were committed to the company’s owner and the growth of the business. We both had a passion for customer service and our team members’ success. Leslie and I would often exchange stories and share new photos of our children, marvelling at how much they had grown and how old we were getting!
One of my front line customer service staff stopped in my office yesterday to let me know she was sorry for the loss of my “close friend.” That gave me pause, because Leslie and I did not socialize outside of work. When I tried to down-play the reference, she said,
“But, you were close work friends. Everyone needs a friend at work, and you’ve lost yours.”
Thank you, Leslie, for being my work friend. You will be missed.
.
