Go back to your office, Jack!

It isn't common anymore to find someone who is so willing to take newbies under their wings and mentor them in the workplace (at least I don't think it is)
But my friend and mentor, Jack, announced his retirement last week.  Which I knew could come at any day but was still blindsided when he told me. 
When I advanced positions in the company and learned that he and I would be "teamed" up I was thrilled.  We're very similar when it comes to how we work and it was a match made in heaven.  He can walk by my office and say, "you see that?"  meaning an email that came to both of us and I would know exactly what he meant and what I needed to do.  We speak our own language.  I can normally read his mind.  (plus his handwriting, which is a challenge - I'm the official office Jack interpreter)

I was cleaning out some old files and I found a list of expectations that he gave me when we became a team and among them were:

• You are very important
• I want you to enjoy what you do
• The work you do is very important
• We are a team
• It's okay to question each other (and I did on a daily basis :)
• We want to have fun but we have to work hard and be very good at what we do

He always makes me feel important and appreciated.  He is always a fun part to my day.  He was never too busy to stop what he was doing to help me or answer one of my millions of questions.  He had confidence in my abilities, always. 
Above all else, he is a kind man and I will miss him dearly. 

I suppose I am excited that he and he his wife are starting a new chapter in their lives and getting to move to be much closer to their kids, but dangit, the office just won't be the same.