Remembering Sheryl, My Senior Sister

Today is the anniversary of Sheryl’s passing.

Sheryl was the first person I met when I came into the clinic to meet our supervisor and do my initial walk-through.

She had such a great smile and was so welcoming. I honestly thought she was younger than me, but it turned out she was two years older.

By then, Sheryl had already worked at Swedish for about 13 or 14 years. When the surgeons she supported retired from the clinic, she decided to transition to the front desk.

I called her my Senior Sister.

It was wonderful having someone close to my age at work. We both had adult daughters, and we had both helped raise our grandbabies. We were different women with similar life experiences—and we understood one another.

Sheryl made me smile.

She had a rhythm all her own. Her smoke breaks happened around the same time every day. She brought leftovers from home, warmed them up and kept them in a drawer beside her so she could eat while covering the front desk.

That was Sheryl. 😊

She genuinely helped and advocated for patients. Because she already understood the clinic’s processes and knew how to find information, she was a wonderful resource to have around.

I knew Sheryl had been dealing with some dental issues and had been placed on steroids. But she was a tough cookie. She still came to work every day—five to ten minutes late, like clockwork.

When I was injured with radiculopathy and did not have insurance yet, Sheryl helped make it possible for me to receive care from our clinic.

On the day the staff went to get our flu shots, she pushed me down in a wheelchair.

That was the kind of person she was.

The last time I saw Sheryl was on a Friday as I was leaving work. She was smiling and being her normal, awesome self.

No one could have told me that would be the last time I would ever see her.

She passed away at home the following Monday.

Life at work has not been the same since she has been gone. Her absence changed something in the clinic—and it changed something in me.

I will never forget Sheryl, my Senior Sister at work.

This morning, I’m drinking coffee in my tower and thinking about her with a smile. 😊

Remembering her warmth.
Remembering her rhythm.
Remembering the way she showed up for people.

Remembering Sheryl.

Flava in Her Tower 🌻