You Were the Best

A couple of my husband's former colleagues came by for a visit this weekend. It was a perfect time of day, with sundowning hours away. My husband was cheerful and friendly. Though it was clear he wasn't tracking with the conversation at all, he did try to participate and was enjoying himself. I was glad to see him happy, the center of attention.

Just as everyone does with long-time friends, we talked about our families, caught up on other news, suggested films to each other, mourned friends and co-workers who had passed, and chatted about what we're up to now. What we're up to here is pretty much obvious, and the sadness in our guests' eyes at that realization would have been difficult to miss.

At one point, while our visitors were doing their best to casually bring memories forth so that my husband might better understand who the folks in front of him actually were, one of them said, "You were the best manager I've ever had." That comment, so sincere and unsolicited, brought tears to my eyes.

It's been a lot of years since my husband retired and a lot more years than that since either of these two wonderful people worked with him (though we have seen them both on occasion), which made the visit that much more special to me. The affection those who have worked with and for him continue to have for him speaks volumes about the kind of presence my husband was in the workplace. He worked hard, but he also had fun. He was an encourager, a good friend, and an advocate for his team. They could count on him. He led by example and always tried to be fair.

I appreciate these little reminders now and then. They're something for me to hold on to when my husband isn't exactly the guy I remember from days gone by. Thank you for coming over, dear friends!