Soon I will be reaching a milestone birthday. Had you asked me a while back how I felt about it, I would have gone on about how depressing it was and how getting old sucks, but now my perspective is completely different. The reason for this change is that my dear friend and business partner, Gail, passed away in February from a glioblastoma just a few months short of her 60th birthday.
Let me tell you a little bit about Gail. She was the kind of person who made everyone around her feel better about themselves. She had many close friends, all of whom if asked would have said that she was their best friend. Her warmth and compassion was boundless and she was always thinking about how to help someone else around her. She spent countless hours contributing to her community and building positive relationships with everyone whose path she crossed. I can count on one hand the number of times I ever saw her get angry and even then it was never directed at a person, but rather the situation. She dealt with practically everything with a smile on her face and a positive attitude.
I can remember one day at the clinic when someone had what can only be described as an explosion in the single bathroom we had. When one of our clients reported it to us I gave Gail a panicked “I’m not dealing with that” look. Gail shrugged and said “No problem, I’ll do it.” She disappeared into the bathroom and proceeded to hum her way through the cleaning process. When she came out I thanked her profusely for taking care of the mess. She looked at me, smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and said “S–t happens” and burst into laughter.
I know that when someone dies people only say positive things about them posthumously, but in Gail’s case this would have been true on any given day of her life. She not only believed that you should always treat people the way you wish to be treated yourself, she lived it. Whenever I am dealing with a difficult situation or challenging personality I ask myself, “what would Gail do?” and I know that the answer will always steer me in the right direction.
So as I face this milestone in my life I now do so in a more positive manner. I know that Gail would have given anything to see her 60th birthday and to be present for her son’s wedding. I know that she would have celebrated with abandon and to hell with the dishes, they can wait until tomorrow. Most of all I know she would have wanted me to celebrate and think about all that I am grateful for. I will honour her memory and our friendship by doing just that. Happy birthday to me. I am so fortunate to be alive and well.