End of an Era
A woman I worked with for 4 years, Madge, passed this weekend. She started working there the year I was born(for those keeping track, 35 years ago.) Since then, she had been a keystone of the community. She was fastidious and had high expectations of everyone but, at the same time, could exude love and caring.
One of my fondest memories of her was when she was about to leave me in charge of the Meetinghouse for a Talent Show. She told me the alarm code, all the rules, how to turn off the lights, etc. I thanked her and held my hand outstretched for the keys and she just kept staring at me as if she was forgetting something. She held out the keys but was not relinquishing them. I smiled and said,"No wild parties mom, I promise." Her face transformed itself into a smile as she let go.
I always wanted to please her. After all of the events I was responsible for I would clean and then look the place over thinking, "Madge will be relieved when she sees how much care I took." Every light I turned out, every thermostat I turned down (or up) before leaving, every window I checked was, in part, for her.
The school is a part of the meeting and they were both a part of her. You saw it in the responsibilities she would take, the gentle reminders to turn the copier's toner to low, the endless cups of peppermint tea, the years and years of service above and beyond the call of duty. She was the one we turned to for the answers, she was the one we knew would be there, no matter what.
And suddenly, without warning, she isn't.
She did everything right. She ate right, she exercised, she took health seriously and lived life simply, but fully. A heart attack? WTF?
My connection to her was not a tremendously strong one so why am I mourning her so hard? I've searched myself for the answer to that one and the best thing I can come to is this...
With Madge, I feel like there is so much that should have been. She had an honest and peaceful life dedicated to the service of others and just retired. If things made sense she should have had many more years to enjoy with her devoted husband and family. But, things don't make sense and I start thinking of other things that should have been but never will.
Ahhhhh....depression. *sigh*
So, after the mourning there is the rest of the day. Knowing Madge, she would want us all to live it....as long as the toner setting is on low and the lights are turned off when everybody leaves.
One of my fondest memories of her was when she was about to leave me in charge of the Meetinghouse for a Talent Show. She told me the alarm code, all the rules, how to turn off the lights, etc. I thanked her and held my hand outstretched for the keys and she just kept staring at me as if she was forgetting something. She held out the keys but was not relinquishing them. I smiled and said,"No wild parties mom, I promise." Her face transformed itself into a smile as she let go.
I always wanted to please her. After all of the events I was responsible for I would clean and then look the place over thinking, "Madge will be relieved when she sees how much care I took." Every light I turned out, every thermostat I turned down (or up) before leaving, every window I checked was, in part, for her.
The school is a part of the meeting and they were both a part of her. You saw it in the responsibilities she would take, the gentle reminders to turn the copier's toner to low, the endless cups of peppermint tea, the years and years of service above and beyond the call of duty. She was the one we turned to for the answers, she was the one we knew would be there, no matter what.
And suddenly, without warning, she isn't.
She did everything right. She ate right, she exercised, she took health seriously and lived life simply, but fully. A heart attack? WTF?
My connection to her was not a tremendously strong one so why am I mourning her so hard? I've searched myself for the answer to that one and the best thing I can come to is this...
With Madge, I feel like there is so much that should have been. She had an honest and peaceful life dedicated to the service of others and just retired. If things made sense she should have had many more years to enjoy with her devoted husband and family. But, things don't make sense and I start thinking of other things that should have been but never will.
Ahhhhh....depression. *sigh*
So, after the mourning there is the rest of the day. Knowing Madge, she would want us all to live it....as long as the toner setting is on low and the lights are turned off when everybody leaves.