Faded Jeans Living

A call to the help desk

I work in the IT department at a large hospital system that covers the Front Range of Colorado and stretches into Wyoming and Nebraska. Our staff numbers over 33,000.

On Thursday, I found myself sitting on hold—waiting in the queue for the next available help desk agent. We’d recently switched to a completely new help desk system, and things had been more than a bit chaotic as we worked the kinks out. After twenty minutes on hold, I finally connected with Andrea.

Right away, I could feel her positive energy. Within minutes, we were venting and laughing about the “funness” of the new system. She mentioned how many callers were frustrated with the long wait times. We joked that the help desk team should get an “amnesty day” once a year, where they could give the caller an earful for a change. We both laughed hard at that one.

As she worked on my issue, Andrea reached out to the on-call person for help, and we kept talking to pass the time. I learned she’d been with the company for thirty-four years. I’ve been here twenty-seven.

That got me talking about retirement. I told her I plan to retire next year—I’m more than ready. She said she’d probably be working another four or five years. Her daughter and her family had recently moved in, she said, since finding affordable housing had become nearly impossible.

While she waited for a response from the on-call person, I mentioned how, after thirty-four years, she must have a great pension. I couldn’t imagine why she wasn’t ready to retire.

There was a pause.

Then she said quietly, “My husband passed away two years ago.”

I froze.

She went on to explain that she plans to sell her house to her daughter’s family and find something smaller for herself. Housing prices in Denver are outrageous, she said, and she wants her daughter and family to have a good home—a backyard for her grandchildren to play in, a safe neighborhood, a fair mortgage.

As she spoke, I realized she wasn’t working extra years for money. She was working for love.

When the on-call person messaged back, my issue was fixed. I tested it—everything worked. Andrea thanked me for making her laugh, and I told her it was an honor to meet her.

When I hung up the phone, my tiny problem had been solved, but I was left with something much bigger.

A reminder.

Life rarely unfolds the way we plan. Sometimes the people we come into contact with every day are carrying the heaviest stories. Andrea meets hers with love and grace – and quietly keeps the world running.

Thank you, Andrea, for reminding me of that. You are truly a beautiful soul.

Dwight

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Backstory on the photo: More and more, I’m trying to use my own photos for posts. The other day on a walk, I saw a pile of wood from a distance. As I got closer, I realized some kids had been at play—stacking the pieces into a fort, palace, or just something magical. ✨