Dear Elli,
Let me tell you about my friend, Mickey.
Mickey celebrated 30 years of service today at Westfield. She is a damn fine business professional. And she's a true OG.
You see, Mickey started her career in 1986. In the policy typing department. That's right. She started her career typing insurance policies in 1986. I was four years old in 1986. I was busy blowing snot bubbles when Mickey started her career.
She slowly worked her way up, all the while raising three kids.
She didn't have a college education, but she needed one in order to achieve more. So she went to night school to earn her accounting degree. Did I mention she has three kids?
She earned her accounting degree, and decided to sit for the CPA exam. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to. She passed the CPA exam, because she's a true OG. (She also raised three kids in case you forgot.)
She scraped and clawed her way into the bond industry. She fought hard. She fought to be taken seriously. She fought to be recognized as a professional. She fought for respect. She fought for women like me. And she fought for the future of little girls like you.
As far as I can tell, Mickey was the first female bond underwriter to start from the bottom and rise to the senior level at Westfield. She did it first. It took many years to fight her way up. Because she was the first.
I arrived on the scene in 2004. Mickey was already 18 years into her career. I was just a terrified kid who felt terribly out of place.
Who was I fooling? I didn't know the first thing about being a business professional. I didn't know which fork to use first at dinner. I didn't know how to dress. I didn't know when to speak or what to say. There was a big part of me that just wanted to throw in the towel and go home. Believe it or not, I spent a fair amount of time crying in the bathroom those first few years.
But Mickey was always one of the first to greet me. She was kind. And patient. And so damn smart. And she made it clear right away that she expected me to perform well. This lady actually thought I belonged! She listened to me. And she understood that I was afraid, even though she never mentioned it directly.
Mickey has been an advocate of mine from the beginning. She has taught me, both technically and philosophically. She has mentored me. And, most importantly, she has befriended me.
When you were born, Mickey taught me about the art of balancing motherhood with career aspirations. She encouraged me to strive for both. She understood how difficult that was for me, especially during those first few "little" years. And she always listened with a knowing smile. Because she does know. After all, she raised three kids.
Mickey paved the way for me. Lots of people say shit like that, but I mean it. Remember when I said that Mickey was the first female Westfield-trained bond underwriter to rise to the senior level?
I was the second.
Now that's some true OG type of shit that she did for me.
And that's why Mickey, and all of the other women in the world like Mickey, deserve our respect. Because they damn well earned it. Don't ever forget that because it's really freaking important.
I love you.
Mom
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