Jackie! A friend? A former colleague? Like a sister? Another mom? She is all of those things and so much more! At RJ Hawkey, Jackie's desk was about 4 steps away from mine. We spent the better part of six years together laughing everyday. We knew about each other's families, husbands, friends, health, travel plans and pets. She was in the know about books to recommend, movies to see and TV to watch. She could tell me about where all the best consignment stores are in Calgary and I could tell her about where I bought my latest pair of shoes. Together we could giggle about all the silly things that would come out of the students' mouths while we worked together. It was never a chore coming to work, thanks to Jackie (and Deb - but she'll get her own post, another time!)
I love Jackie because of her quirks and sense of humour. Allergic to everything (and that is barely an embellishment) she would still keep treats for Brier in her desk drawer for his Friday shifts and would pet him with her foot. She would feign such indignance if he preferred Deb's treats over her offerings. A shoe lover herself, Jackie rarely wears anything other than flip flops, even in the winter. Jackie keeps her hair shorter (by choice) than any other woman you'll meet (despite a recent attempt to grow it out. Kudos for the effort!). She is a fantastic grandma to her girlies and mama to her boys. She claims to be uber-conservative when it comes to her fingernails yet she still rocks sparkles and swirly designs with the best of them. With a memory like an elephant, Jackie is sure to always ask about members in my extended family or follow-up with a question - weeks or months later - about an event I may have mentioned in passing. Everybody knows the secretaries (and caretakers) are the ones who really run a school and Jackie is that historian who remembers everyone and everything. An icon!
It has been almost six months since seeing Jackie on a daily basis became a thing of the past. We met up at Good Earth this week and had a wonderful 90 minute visit. There was a lot to pack in to the conversation but it felt good to do it and I hope we will do it again soon. I miss our daily kibitzing and, even though I can now eat fish at work, this privilege doesn't fill the void. She is a wonderful lady and a fabulous friend. We met with a place of work in common but I know this need never be the tie that binds us going forward
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