Have you ever planned and worked so hard to get something accomplished, but in the end, you were still worried something might go wrong? That was me on 03/19/2019, the day of my supervisor: Ms. Lula Brown’s retirement party. Throughout the morning of the event I was busying myself, but not worried. But then I received a call from the caterer stating that he was on his way with my order. I went to retrieve my wallet, but inadvertently put my phone down. As I stepped into an elevator my heart suddenly felt heavy, and as the door closed behind me a worried voice whispered into my ears: "Who would get the food if you got stuck in here, the caterer only has my phone number?” My mind raced for those brief moments while I was in the elevator. Ms. Brown told us last year in the summer that she would be retired in March this year. Last August, we threw a nice and big 70th birthday for her in the office with almost 70 people participated. She was pleased with the big turn out, so she told us that she wanted to celebrate her retirement party in the office. Most county employees celebrate their retirements in restaurants where they can hold more people. In addition, they have no worries about serving food. We agreed to do it in the office to honor her wish, with one condition that we wouldn't be able to invite outsiders due to limited spaces in the conference room and parking. A little over 100 people signed up. I am very grateful for some other unit members who stepped up and helped us the day before and the day of to make it a successful one. I’m thankful for our Administration and the Media Department for the support. I am happy and thankful for our former coworkers who made time to come over to enjoy the celebration with us. Ms. Brown started her career as a Unit Clerk with the Department of Public Social Services of Los Angeles on August 3, 1973, ten days shy from her 25th birthday. She worked at Wilshire Special for two years then transferred to Pasadena District Office where she stayed until 2014. She got promoted to Eligibility Worker and Eligibility Supervisor during her stay in the Pasadena District Office. Her final office is with the Call Center I, El Monte since Covered California implemented in 2014. It is where she won many hearts with the administration and staff with her excellent work ethics and personality. Mrs. Brown deserves all of our love! She is one of the sweetest bosses I have ever worked with. She not only cares for her staff, but she always goes beyond her duty. She told us whenever she was asked to do something by her superiors, she always took the orders without complaints. She’s a caring and giving person. She is retired with 1700 hours of sick time in the book. She has donated a countless amount of sick time to many people who were out sick without any time left. She often reminds us to save our time in case of emergency. She tells us to always plan for the best and prepare for the worse. She’s like a mother to me. On my last book, Finding My Voice, I dedicate a small portion of it to mention about her. We may not come from the same background, but one thing we have in common is our hearts always burning with love. I know she’s not ready to leave us because she loves what she does and the people she works with every day. She will be greatly missed. I wish her nothing but the best of health and happiness for many years to come. ❤️ Crystal H. Vo 03-20-2019