Tuesday, June 6, 2023
//s3.amazonaws.com/skins.funeraltechweb.com/tribute-gestures/v2/heart.png
When you work in a small regional organisation for 14 years, your colleagues become more than friends they become family. Sue Hartley you were our FAMILY – lovingly referred to most of the time by me as Harts, you referred to me as ‘Snooze’.
Sue – I wrote to Vanessa when I learnt of your passing.
This is my email.
You may not remember me but I am the other Sue from OLG. Am I the bitch or the unhinged one (in joke)?, me and Harts had many a debate about which one of us was which. By the way, I never won the debate!!
I really want you to know that you are not the only ones broken by this, I worked day in and day out with Sue for 14 years. I watch the highs and lows, I watched her get her driver’s licence, be on her P plates, get hit by a car in a carpark, lose loved one’s including your mum and her beloved friend Alice Octavia, move from the farm, the joy of you and Aaron getting married, the stories of the beloved Kate, your family and events in her life and watched her make the dreaded decision to change jobs.
Now today, alongside Trisha and others who loved you, I had to say, “see you later” but I really can’t bear the thought of saying “goodbye” and because you know me and Trisha – yes of course we over thought everything but the sheer reality of our grief knowing that we can’t hear your voice again and when we text you we will not get a response, is just overwhelming.
Trish just said to me, I have things I want to say to Sue and both Simon and I said Sue will be listening. I contexed it by saying Trisha – Sue, brain size of a planet probably had ESP and didn’t tell us in fear of making us feel even dumber!!
I have so many memories of us, good, bad and really fugly. Stories that we shared particularly around your incidents, accidents over cooking bone broth for your beloved fur babies, cactus prickles in uncomfortable places on your body, trees falling on cars, the dreaded ALDI incident, walking directly into doors and so many more.
I truthfully am angry, WHY YOU!!! It is unfair to you, us and your family but I know looking into your eyes today that you are watch us and you will hear us, answer us and guide us.
Report card on today, your family as expected did you proud, your beautiful siblings, your in-laws and your nieces and nephews – but of course they would because you were the ‘favourite’!!
Fly my dear friend, you will always be in my thoughts, I find your loss much harder than those we have shared. I miss you and will continue to until I see you again!! Yes Sue, I will look after Trisha!!
Love you dearly.
