Work Musings

My mind has been on my Mom's coworkers today. 

Dunno why. It just has been.

Mostly because I'm wondering how they're doing.
Wondering how things have changed since Mom's unexpected passing.

Like how does it feel to see Mom one day and have her leave early to go see the Doctor and tell you she'll be in tomorrow....
Only for tomorrow to come and have Dad call in to say she won't be coming in because she's not feeling well.

Only to then get a call a couple of hours later....that she's passed away?

I mean...how does one react to that?
How do you react when your coworker who's been at that job for 20+ years....
Is just gone.

Do you think over your last conversations?
Your last statements?
Your last thoughts?

How are they coping?
Do they look at Mom's desk and think of her?
Is someone else sitting in her spot?

Do they still get teary-eyed and break down?
Did some leave?

I don't know.

I barely saw some of her coworkers at the service. 
And I wish I had more time to chat with them.
To hear their stories of Mom at work.

Because like...as kids we used to go to Mom's work all the time.
Hang out.
Talk to her coworkers.
Go hunting for staples and paperclips and other odds and ends that fell on the ground. 

I just....wonder what's transpired in the past couple of months there.

I mean.
Mom was part of a rather exclusive team at her job.
Where it was just her and one other coworker in charge of their job.

And they would split it up. Each doing half of the work and switching each week.
Then whenever one of them was sick/on vacation the other would do both jobs at the same time.

But really I think it was more of a two person job.

What happened to that coworker? The coworker that had worked with Mom for the past forever??
Who had worked with her through like three building moves and such?

Did she retire? Is she still doing a job for two by herself? Did they bring in someone else to train? Did they move her to a different department and transfer the job itself elsewhere?

It's questions I don't know if I'll ever get answers to.
Because I don't know if I can ask them.

Like can I just call up Mom's boss and be like "Hi I'm the daughter and just want to check in on everyone. What's changed? How are you all doing? Anything I can do to help?"

I just don't know.

But I do wonder.
Wonder how work has changed for my Mom's coworkers.
Wonder what they felt and did and thought in the weeks after her passing.

I hope they're okay.
I hope they're finding reasons to smile.
Reasons to laugh.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi