Crying over Colleagues...

This morning Stamp rolled out of bed at an unGodly hour and I thought why is he up? Then I remembered what today is and everything made sense. Jace is leaving work early today to visit a dear friend and former colleague, Barb, at her surprise retirement party! Barb has been in the legal field for almost 40 years and Jace got to work with Barb for 7 years! Barb  proving a listening ear, encouraging voice, and guiding hand for Jace during his time at Hargrove and Foster. Barb, Jace and another sweet lady, Teresa, worked in the real estate department and those three new what was happening in Graves Co. at all times. They were their own little family and Jace gained two extra mommas with those two ladies!

I loved that Jace worked so closely with two women and did so before we got married. Honey, he knew more about menopause and pregnancy than I did because of Barb and Teresa. Those ladies supported Jace while he was at Murray and checked in with him while he was at MC Law. He tried to stop in while he was home on breaks and I often would go with him. The way Jace would say in his deep voice, "Barbara" and the grin she would give him followed by a long hug would melt anyone. They truly loved one another and their relationship is like mother-son. Barb always says that Jace has a "shitty grin" on his face and you know what that grin comes out (as well as his dimples) when he is around her.

Barb has no idea that he is going home to surprise her and I only wish I could be a fly on the wall to see her reaction when he walks through that door. Hargrove and Foster allowed Jace to discover his love for law but he also discovered some really good people there too!

I was thinking about all of this this morning before work and then Jennifer texted me pictures of Abby and Riley on their first day of school, pre-K and 5th grade. Now I have a momma's heart even though I am not a momma right now but seeing those kids in new clothes, backpacks on and ready, huge smiles, and faces lit up in excitement made me a little teary. I can remember when Jennifer was pregnant with Abby trying to choke down a peanut butter sandwich in my office when she was deathly morning sick. How can Abby be a pre-K kiddo now? (Jennifer if you are reading this I'm sorry I made you cry, time to go get a coke).

All of this wasn't lost on me this morning with Barb and Jennifer. Sometimes God lets you work with people who turn out to be really good friends--like family--and over time they become staples in your life and very influential. You become attached to their families and next thing you know you are going to their retirement parties and crying over how great their kids look on the first day of school. My prayer is that I can be like Barb and Jennifer and love on my colleagues and invest in their lives because you just never know the impact you can have on someone.