A life...

Yesterday, I found out rather late that someone I used to work with passed away. She was a case manager whom I supervised for almost 7 years. She was 73 years old. She was a character, lemme tell ya. She could be the most frustrating person on the face of the planet. She often thought people were out to get her in some way. She could be cantankerous and suspicious and angry when she wanted to be. But she could also be endearing and funny and was one of the hardest working people I have ever known.

She worked until she was 72 and then had a heart attack while she was on the job. She never really fully recovered from that. Her health failed and it failed quickly. She often talked about moving to Vegas to be near her son or taking a trip to Arizona with her husband. She talked about spending time with her daughters and grand kids. She talked about having time to shop for her beloved Southwest themed collectibles. She talked about it but never had the change to do it.

I heard she passed about a half hour before her funeral service was to take place so I was unable to attend. That's something I will always regret because, though she might not have believed it, she was one of my favorite people on the planet. That's why today I am filled with thoughts of what exactly constitutes a life well spent. Surely in her lifetime, she touched thousands of people - those she case managed and those who loved them. But she never took a moment to take care of herself so those closest to her, her family and friends, have missed out on her golden years and what might have been a grand retirement.

I'm all for devoting oneself to a job well done but I think it's extremely important to have some balance. Work is work and it will almost always be there. It will always be there in my line of work. Unfortunately, in social work there will always be the poor, the needy, the mentally ill and the disabled. Regardless, taking time to breathe and live outside of a job is just as important as the job itself.

So, here's to Ruth. She was a great lady! I just wish her life could have been filled with a little more time to stop and smell the roses.