Page 7 - Scene Magazine November 2023 47-11

The Way I’ve Scene I
t
BY DENISE POYER
I head into the abyss of the unknown.
At a deeper level, leaving brings with
it a keen awareness. Realistically, this rite of passage leads me to the final leg of life’s journey... albeit one that I hope lasts for many, many years, it begins my winter season. Instead of getting caught up in the melancholy clutch of endings,
I prefer to bring this wonderful chapter of my life to a close with a love letter... to another woman’s husband. I can’t decide if he will hate this or feel honored by it. I hope it is the latter.
There were some big moments. Remember Y2K and how unsure the world was that anything would func- tion on January 1? How about the day the world stood still as we watched in horror while the twin towers fell, and our lives were forever changed? We hustled to make the news accessible
to everyone, and we stood downstairs
in the dimly lit meeting place in the roaring silence wondering what would happen next. Years later, we watched
as America swore in our first black president. Together, we have navigated the loss of colleagues and parents and friends. We joked and teased about your “lack of feelings” when we both knew that was just not true. The morning after my mom died, the Hub and I stopped in
Dear Brad. Our years together have spanned more than twenty. I was the first babysitter for your and Lisa’s beautiful daughters when you made the leap to Michigan. It’s hard to believe that they are now grown and have lives of their own. When you arrived, I tried to help smooth out the learning curve and steer you away from trip hazards by sharing what I already knew about the ropes. In the blink of an eye, you grew wise to the ins and outs of the
I am leaving my job of more than 33 years in much the same way I arrived. I am a little excited, a little afraid, and
I don’t know every- body! My eyes are a little prickly as
workplace and became the beacon I followed. I have loved the even keel you keep in the water as you guide
your team through everything from
the routine and mundane to the life changing event that we simply refer
to as “COVID,” and you have done so with grace and humor. You ALWAYS find the delicate line that is the balance between friendship, camaraderie, and leadership. I have loved working along with you and for you. You are one of the few things that might make me wince when I think of never reporting for work again.
to talk, and you met me in the doorway with a long, warm, medicinal hug. It was not time for B.S. and dry humor. Knowing it was time for me to grieve, you comforted me while I cried. We mourned the loss of colleagues too, and then for me, the earth stood still yet again while the Hub took his final bow. Steadfastly, you and Lisa were there for whatever I needed. Through the years, you generously found ways to weave creative threads into my work, engaging me to help with design and color, be- cause you knew that was so fulfilling to me. That’s what a great leader does. We have celebrated the goodness life has to offer, and watching your girls grow into beautiful, competent women has been a privilege. Without children of my own, I have loved being able to “borrow” the joys of yours through the years. Our strengths are very different, and togeth- er our whole has been greater than the sum of our parts, and we leveraged that.
It was a joy, Mr. DeHart. I have loved your kindness, your dry humor, the way that every once in a while, I can get you to belly laugh. You have been my sounding board and my trusted and honest friend. You have led by example and worked right alongside your team through thick and thin. You have been a gem to work with and I leave with you my love, respect, and gratitude. Dee.
Love Letter to Another Woman’s Husband
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