Yesterday I went to a retirement party for a friend and former co-worker, Lil Sakol.  This was Lil's second official retirement, having been recruited out of her last retirement to work for my former employer.  She stayed there for 18 years, and recently decided to retire due to some health issues.  Until about a year ago, she worked full time.  Then, after a fall at the office, had to take some time off to recuperate.  In fact, her geriatric specialist had a difficult time completing the Workman's Comp paperwork because they'd never had to do it before.

It was great to see Lil, her daughter and son-in-law again and to hear all the fine things that everyone had to say about Lil.  I think that many of us there must have had similar experiences with Lil over the years.  She was always gracious and grateful - sometimes things that lack in any office.  She expected top notch work from everyone, and would often call the library to confirm her grammatical suspicions.  I know for a fact that if she had proofed this entry before posting, she would have circled all of my misused commas, saying that commas are meant to separate phrases, not indicate the kids of pauses I might have when speaking. 

She says that working enhanced her life, giving her something to look forward to, a place to meet new and interesting people, and work that made her feel useful.  Each week when I would go into the office, I would stop by Lil's desk for our morning visit.  We'd catch up on what the kids had been doing since our last talk, she'd ask how my boyfriend was even after he became my husband, and would ask if I loved where I was living.  She always made me feel like a terrific mother, saying that she was glad that I didn't fret over every little thing even when I did.

Here's a photo from the party, apparently taken without autofocus.  Lil on the left, the former boss of me Amy, and Lil's daughter Ilene.

Now that she's retired, I fully expect the calls to the library to continue.  Maybe now that she will have more free time, they'll increase and the library staff will be busier than ever.