It's not about me
No one ever talks about grieving the death of your coworker but it's real, and I'm feeling it. And I'm not talking about the coworker that left for a better opportunity. I'm talking about grief after death. My boss passed away on Saturday after battling illness for some time and it's been weighing pretty heavy on me.
Typically after a loss, I'd take some time away from work to mourn with family but this time I couldn't. I wanted to mourn in the space where we shared most of our time together. So on Monday, I returned to work for a regular day.
It's not about me but having her as my boss has been one of my greatest blessings. For once I felt like my leader saw me for me. And ironically, I saw a lot of myself in her.
Kathleen was not only my boss, she was a mentor and friend. She was sharp, unfiltered, bold, funny, family-oriented, and overall one of my favorite people, especially at work. She was ALWAYS up-to-date with the latest technology. She had a big heart for those she cared about and this incredible gift of bringing out the best version of everyone.
Without her here, work doesn't feel the same. Work is where most of us spend 8 hours plus a day; over 40 hours a week. And I was lucky that our friendship expanded beyond those constraints.
She remembered every milestone and every detail. She'd always send the most thoughtful gifts and she was the star of every Google Meet. I'll miss her tie dye t-shirts and little hand props she would use to make us all smile. I'll miss her memes, gifs, ai songs she'd compose, her voice, and her garden stories. Now they all live in a very special place in my heart.
I'll be missing her dearly.