A Friend for Life

[Georgann and me, circa 1984]

On this first day of June, I am thinking about my friend, Georgann, because today is her birthday. (Birthday wishes, GG, for an abundance of love and happiness today and always!) When I was a young woman of about 20, I interviewed for a job at a savings and loan, where I ended up working for almost 10 years. While the interview led to a job and career that I never imagined, the best thing that happened to me that day was meeting Georgann.

Georgann was the branch manager and the person who interviewed me. I don't remember much about the interview questions, but I do remember that Georgann and I had instant rapport. The conversation was easy and the interview lasted a lot longer than I had anticipated; we just clicked right from the get go.

I was fortunate to work with Georgann for several years before she fully supported my transfer and promotion to a position in the corporate office. In the years I worked with her, I learned a lot about what it means to be a good boss. She was the kind of leader who communicated clearly and had high expectations, coupled with a recognition of the value each of her employees brought to the team. Georgann embraced new ideas and was willing to let people try new things.

One of her best attributes as a boss was that she was willing and able to maintain friendships with her employees. She had the ability to take off her "boss" hat at the end of the day and just be herself. I spent more time laughing with Georgann in those years than I can remember and we had some of the best times of my life. Even though I ended moving closer to my job at the corporate office and we didn't work directly together any more, Georgann and I maintained our friendship. (She was one of my friends who hosted a baby shower for me when I was preggers with Matt.)

Georgann is one of the people who has had tremendous influence in my life. She definitely spoiled me as one of my first bosses because she set the bar really high. I was young and did not know then what I know now--great bosses are few and far between! Personally, I have learned from Georgann that it is right to be strong and independent, to be willing to take risks and to try things even when the outcome is uncertain or unknown. She is a person with great love and acceptance of all people. She is willing to sacrifice personally to serve others--even spending about four years in the Peace Corps in Lesotho.

While our eventual move to the Northwest means that I don't see Georgann very often, she has remained a touchstone in my life. She influences me more than she can ever know, as I often think, "Georgann wouldn't be afraid to try that!" or "Georgann went on her Peace Corps adventure in mid-life, so adventures are still out there for me, too!" She is a remarkable woman and I am truly blessed that on that day when I went on an interview in 1983, Georgann became my friend for life.