Having time to rest and relax gives me opportunity to think about things. I've been thinking a lot about Carol, a woman I had the pleasure to work with until she retired. Carol was the general housekeeper at work. She was the kindest, sweetest, and one of the nicest persons I have ever met. Through the years as I got to know her, we became good friends. We talked about our lives, the world. I am one of the first people to arrive at work in the morning. This always gave Carol and I the chance to converse before the day got to hectic. When the weather was nice, we would go sit on the loading dock, coffee in hand, and just appreciate the morning. It was a simple pleasure that we both enjoyed and shared together. Carol had battled cancer throughout her life and one day she informed me her cancer had returned. She would be going for treatment and working part time. This went on for a number of months. While the treatment was rough, she handled it with grace and dignity. Her cancer had spread and she was terminal. She was given a matter of time. She decided to retire from the job and continue with treatments. On her last day at work, the company gave her a huge luncheon. I bought her a gift, a book to write about her life, her memories. Everyone has a story worth telling. I saw her several times after she retired, and we always shared a smile, a laugh, and a hug. She past away last fall. I was out of town on business and I missed the funeral. Carol touched my life, taught me to enjoy the smallest moments. On the day of her retirement, I was lucky to have one of those moments caught on film. The picture of Carol and I still stands on my desk.