I had the privilege of being Jennifer’s boss—and more importantly having her as my friend for almost 13 years.
Not everyone has a way about them. You know that feeling you get that someone is something special, even when you first meet them. And as you get to know them, their way takes on new dimensions.
– Jennifer had a way.
Her way was the opposite of pretentious. She was beautiful—she could have been pretentious—but she wasn’t. She would rather go fishing or ride 4-wheelers than waste time or money on appearances. Not that she didn’t like to dress up and go out, that’s just not what mattered most in her life.
–Her way was being genuine.
Friendship should be easy. And with her, it was. She didn’t have unrealistic expectations from others in a friendship. If you made a mistake and missed a birthday, she didn’t mind. If she didn’t get back to you for 10 minutes or two days, it didn’t mean anything was wrong—it was just her way. Whether you talked every day or once a month, you could always pick up right where you left off. No awkwardness. No gaps. She could be friends with a software developer, an executive, or a mechanic—it didn’t matter.
–Easy friendships were her way.
Strong relationships require honesty. And she never held back. If it came to mind, she’d say it. She didn’t worry about how it came out—just that it came from a place of truth. Years ago, after giving an annual speech to the company I asked her what she thought. She said, “You shouldn’t read from your notes.”
I said, “Anything else? (fishing for a compliment)
But she was right. And I’ll remember her advice forever. Well Jennifer—I’m reading this now because I want to get it right. For you.
–Honesty was her way.
Achievement takes hard work and dedication. Jennifer didn’t come from the tech world, but she carved out a place in it anyway. She started at our front desk right out of college. A year in, she said she wanted to be a developer. Not many took her seriously. So she taught herself. Nights. Weekends. She found friends who helped her learn. And over time, she proved everyone wrong.
–Hard work and never giving up were her way.
Loyalty is putting others first, and I saw Jennifer do that time and time again. She got offers from other companies—she never took them. She saw red flags in people, in relationships—but she fought for them anyway.
–Loyalty was just her way.
Kindness is doing the little things that make life better for others. And in all the years I knew her, I never once heard her say an unkind word about anyone. She went out of her way—again and again—for the people she loved.
–Kindness was her way.
Faith is believing in something better. And as Jennifer got older, her faith grew stronger. She gave generously to her church. She shared her belief in Christ with everyone. She believed in a better future—for herself, her daughter, for everyone.
–Faith was her way.
If Jennifer had a fault, it was living too much in the moment. Some people plan every step. She didn’t. She lived for the day, the hour, the minute. In the last five years, I saw her struggle with that—trying to find a balance between now and the future. She fought it, but she was always young at heart and her yearning for excitement never went away.
–Living for the present was her way.
I’m going to miss Jennifer like hell. But maybe if we can live life a little more her way—more honest, more kind, more loyal, more faithful, more genuine—then her love can be enduring.
Because after all, and above all…
Love was always her way.
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