Advice I will cherish for the rest of my life.

By: Hailey McSpadden

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Sanjay through work. We finally met in person last December and after a few long days of meetings, we ended up sitting next to each other at dinner.

I was freshly engaged, just a few weeks at that point. Sanjay was so quick to congratulate me on my engagement, telling me just how incredible marriage would be. He told me about his beautiful wife and son, sharing photos and stories. He asked me how I met my now-husband, what we liked to do in our free time, and how things were with the in-laws. I thought that was funny, because nobody had ever brought that up with me before. It's almost like he knew this was a tough topic for me!

I'd struggled from the beginning to feel accepted in another family, questioning whether I was enough for their son, their brother, etc. I felt compelled to share this with Sanjay, he just had that way about him that made you feel so comfortable in being open. He told me, "just keep being you." He reminded me that who I am, my true self, IS enough. He said, "they will come around, these things take time, but you are family!"

In a time when I was feeling so uncertain, his words made such an impact on me. I will always cherish his advice to be myself, both personally and professionally. Being true to yourself is something that Sanjay lived so outwardly, no matter the setting.

I send all of my thoughts and well-wishes to Sanjay's family. He was so proud of his wife, of his son, of his entire family. He shared this with his colleagues all the time - the amount of love he will always have for his family is evident. You are so missed, Sanjay.