My boss finally knows her worth and selfishly, I’m grieving.
Let me backtrack to explain how I got to this point.
It was around nine in the morning, so I was on my third cup of coffee. My phone blew up with texts from my work group chat. The first text was from my boss, who apparently just put in her two weeks notice.
In just a matter of minutes, a slew of messages raided the chat. The texts that followed consisted of heart emojis and sad faces along with some written texts that screamed overused cliche. Before I had the chance to partake in the emoji ensemble, I cried hard.
Truthfully, I didn’t see this coming, but looking back, I probably should have. Ever since I started the job months ago, my boss always talked about leaving. But it was in the way where she could say it a million more times and it still wouldn’t have sounded believable or in the cards for her, or at least any time soon.
My boss Casey is, or was, a studio manager at a boutique fitness studio. At 27, she managed to dedicate most of her 20s to early morning shifts starting at six only for late nights to follow. She even invested in one of those Whoop bands to track her daily recovery score.
She managed the instructors and staff with gentle but tough love.
She could tell when you came into work hungover even if you didn’t show it. She knew when our birthdays were and remembered to celebrate them with us. She made sure our wins, no matter how big or small, were celebrated.
Some days I felt like she could just read minds. She always had a gauge when something was up and I wasn’t feeling like myself.
She cared about the little things. She brought munchkins on Sundays to celebrate the week behind us. She knew if I needed a coffee break or not. She knew if I had a long day and needed a ride back to my dorm versus using the T that added minutes to my commute.
I don’t know many bosses that cared about my zodiac signs the way she did, or a boss that cared about my love life (or lack thereof).
She was always there for those she cared about even when she wasn’t doing the best herself.
Casey somehow got stuck doing two jobs under one pay. Her job description on paper contained less bullet points than everything she contributed to the company.
Essentially, she did the damn thing and she did it well because she loved what she did and loved the people she did it with. And the feeling was mutual. Everyone loved her — how could you not?
It goes without saying that I am also sad. I’m sad because I know no one will ever live up to the job she did. I’m sure my next manager will maybe come close, but they will never do the job like Casey did.
Caring for others is important. Caring about the little things is also important. Showing up for people, especially those you care about, is really important.
Recently, I’ve realized that the roles have reversed. It is my job to show up for her now more than ever because although I’m sad to see her leave, I’m excited to see her begin a new career venture — one that will hopefully pay her a wage she deserves because all she does is give while getting little in return financially.
I believe no one should have to pour from an empty cup. Finally, my boss believes this too.
