My heart breaks for the nation and Rep. Cummings, but also for his staff and colleagues

[StarfishSaver]

A Congressional staff is a family. They work so closely together and share so much - weddings, births, illnesses, etc. -much more than typical workplaces. A loss within that family is devastating. The loss of the leader is unspeakable.

And, in addition to the personal loss and grief, it also throws the office into a very different space, affecting their jobs and futures. When a Member dies in office, the office is essentially deemed to no longer exist. All representational activity immediately shifts to the House Clerk's office since there is no longer a Member representing the District. There's a protocol in place for it, but it's still very difficult and heart-wrenching.

I worked for a Member who died in office. It was unimaginably painful and was especially difficult for the younger staffers who lost their leader and mentor and many of whom had to start finding new jobs because they couldn't all stay on but whose thin resumes made it harder to quickly get new positions.

One of the most poignant moments came when the House Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms came to the office the morning after the boss died to explain what would happen next. Everyone was in shock - the Member had died suddenly and unexpectedly - and many were weeping openly. The Sergeant-at-Arms, too, was so emotional, he had difficult speaking without choking up - he world's closely with the Members, so a death of one of them is hard for him, too - but he did his best to be gentle and offer as much comfort, support and information as he could.

Afterward, seeing that I was struggling not to fall apart in front of the junior staff, he came over to me and said, "would it be ok if I gave you a hug?" He hugged me and whispered "I know this is hard, but we're a family and we'll all get through it together."

Rep. Cummings's death is a huge loss for his immediate family and for the nation. But it's also a tremendous loss for Rep. Cummings' House family.

Please keep them in your hearts, too.

[bdamomma]

1. oh god

it has to be very hard for both family and staff members. i called his office and it went to voicemail, yes it is profoundly sad. I give both the family and staffers my deepest sympathy.

[FM123]

2. Yes, they are hurting the most.

I am just a random stranger but I find myself deeply affected by this too. Of course I never met him and he was not my representative (I don't even live in MD) but somehow every time I heard him speak (even just on tv) it felt like some kind of educational or transformational moment.

[sheshe2]

3. "I know this is hard, but we're a family and we'll all get through it together."

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. the coming days will be tough

So many little reminders of that empty hole left in their lives as they go about their business. Most of us did not have the honor and privilege of working closely with Mr. Cummings, but we will also not have to endure the sharp pain of needing to turn to him only to realize he's no longer there. His friends, family and colleagues will go through that many times.

[Gothmog]

5. Thank you for your story about working for a memboer of Congress who died while you worked for them

Your story was very moving. It mush have been tough losing a member of your office family like this. Thank you for sharing

I agree that the lost of Chairman Cummings is a major loss for our country. I truly admired this great man