I have always depended on the kindness of PMers…
Sometimes I feel like a broken record, talking about what a special place Plante Moran is and how much we care. So I try to focus on external things—cybersecurity, recruiting top talent, why “multitasking” is a misnomer. But the beauty of our firm is that, just around corner, there’s another example of our bright, caring people doing extraordinary things. And this story, quite frankly, deserves to be heard.
We have a set of twin sisters—Kellie and Kris—who work at the firm. After their mother, Linda, was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer, she mentioned to Kellie that she’d like to reunite with her sister, Sue, from whom she’s been estranged for more than 35 years. (Their parents divorced when Linda was 12 and Sue was 10; each parent took one child, and the families lost touch thereafter.)
“My Mom always had a hard time talking about her sister,” says Kris, “so when she expressed an interest in finding her, Kellie and I were all over it.” Kris contacted her colleague, Eric, for help. “Eric and I used to work in audit together, and we’d remained friends. He has a strong technology background, so I thought he’d have a good shot at piecing things together to help find Sue. Still, I was amazed when, two hours later, we had an address.”
Linda wrote Sue a letter, and shortly thereafter, they were in touch. “They talked for five hours that first night,” says Kris, “and they’ve talked for 2-3 hours every day since. Sue’s also made several trips to come visit us, and she and my mom have gotten along amazingly.”
Even though Linda’s health continues to deteriorate, reuniting with her sister has been an amazing blessing. And the fact that it was made possible by the kindness and resourcefulness of one of our own—I couldn’t be prouder.
How about you? I’d love to hear your stories about how people at your organization care about and support one another. If I get enough—and I have your permission—I’d love to share a few in an upcoming blog.
