I am only 17 years old but I work at a dental office. Sarah, one of our dental hygienists, has always been my favorite coworker. She was the one who made my mom, and everyone else, smile and keep going, which was a huge accomplishment at times. My mom knew she wanted to retire, but Sarah was the reason she stayed a few more years. Sarah meaning a lot to my mom is just one of many reasons I appreciate her and know how great she is.

Now that my mom has retired, Sarah is like my “work mom”. She makes me feel so comfortable despite the fact that I’m just a teenager working a part-time job after school with all adults. I often ask her “Where does this go?” in sterilization, or “What do I do with this?” She doesn’t ever make me feel stupid, she is always the first person I ask.

She informs me when things change, new routines we have to follow, all of it. She is the first to tell me every time. “Since when do we use these bags for prophy tools?” I would ask, and she’d explain, “Oh, we just talked about and changed that at our meeting yesterday.” Nobody else remembers to tell me, for that she feels like an amazing boss.

I tell her about my relationship all the time, and she’s so happy for me. I remind her every month on the 17th when me and my boyfriend reach another month. “I remember when Josh and I kept track of our months,” she tells me. “8 months is a milestone.” Even though she’s been married for almost 15 years, and 8 months isn’t a long time to her, she still makes me feel like it's a big deal. She tells me stories about her and her husband when they were younger. I love her because she’s relatable.

It’s sometimes weird to think about how she has her own family at home, because she feels like mine. She has three young children, how crazy at home must be! She tells me all about them—good and bad—and how her husband works the third shift as a police officer. It blows my mind how much she has on her plate—finding nannies because Josh sleeps during the day, working a full time job, feeding and putting the kids to bed every night on her own. She is truly a superhero.

As of the beginning of January, Sarah’s been out with a broken foot. It was a terrible break, she will not be back until mid April. Every so often she’ll come in for a meeting on her knee scooter. Even then she’s still radiating happiness. Every time she comes in now I shout “Sarah!” She shouts my name back. She makes me feel more welcomed at work than anyone else.

She really plays a huge role in our office, without her, there is no sparkle. She is the good mood and positivity everyone needs to push through the hectic days and busy appointments.

Work has been so much more chaotic since she’s been gone and it’s clear to everyone just how much work she puts in, and how sometimes it goes unnoticed.

I just want to thank you Sarah for really being an inspiration, and a beyond amazing coworker.