Paula

Bouncing blonde ringlets, enormous blue eyes, and cupie-doll lips would have made it easy to write off Paula as a lightweight. She'd have forced you to eat that decision along with a steaming hot cup of Think-Again-Sucker. But then she would have laughed about it and encouraged you to do the same.

Paula always had your back; even when it wasn't in her best interests to do so.

She loved enormous pink peonies. And status reports.
And sparkly blue eye shadow. And team meetings.
And hooker boots. And color-coded project folders.

Two things got Paula hot: Dave Matthews and a Lesson (actually!) Learned.

She was like Chief Mama-Bird to an entire staff of women. She spent her time nurturing us in preparation for the day when she would nudge us out of the nest. Finally dropkicking us out of our comfort zones and into the Big Horrible World of Clients, she was always there to swoop down and catch us if our wings faltered.

Paula had time for neither sloth nor fear; she espoused a strict No Whining policy. She forced us to dig deep and find our best, bravest selves because it was too painful to disappoint her.

But she did have time for ice cream. One day I looked out the window to see Paula and Brian walking hand-in-hand chowing down on ice cream cones. She may have played Whipmaster P in the office, but she knew how to take a moment to enjoy a beautiful day with her favorite food and her favorite guy.

Paula's mantra was about finding and maintaining Balance. Between home and work. Between internal and external demands. She didn't just preach Balance; she strove for it herself. A devoted mom who could light up a room talking about her kids. A hard-working colleague who had always envisioned herself as the respected career woman she embodied. Staunch defender of both The Process and Those who simply could not work within The Process. She championed documented parameters but embraced clients' needs, all the while supporting her team with the ferocity of a lioness defending her young.

Paula was a complex woman, as enterprising as she was unpretentious, and as gregarious as she was perceptive. But above all, she was easy to know and easy to love. The world was a better place because she was here, and I'm a better person for having known her.