In Memoriam at a Retirement Workshop

I wrote extensive notes on the cards for Beth and Nicole to hand-deliver them on Flex Day, but when I spotted Nicole and reached into my bag, they weren't there.  I went back to my office and out to my car and even back to the Conference Room and the mail room.  When I got home a few minutes ago, I added this verse for Nicole:

'T is the day after Flex Day, when I had the goal

To deliver by hand this card to you, Nicole.

But somehow I managed to leave the card home,

So my thoughts are with you and with her there in Rome.

La Befana, sweep out the old dust from my brain,

Or make it a toy for some kid to maintain.

I'm awfully high maintenance for someone who doesn't look it.

There's a lot more to say about Flex Day, but I wanted to be sure to mention the very well-attended "Before You Retire" workshop Elma gave, describing her own experience of calling repeatedly to straighten out matters.  It became clear that the process of retiring is a full-time job, so you have to be retired in order to do it.

But...the most touching moment was at the very beginning, when Elma honored Karen Batchelor and Leslie Reichert with an "In Memoriam" slide on her PowerPoint.  She cautioned us that they died just three years after retirement.