Where's Jackie?

I believe I may have partaken in a truly pathetic illustration of people unable to accept change gracefully this morning. Today, as every Wednesday morning, I went to breakfast at the Shed with my coworkers. I have been doing this for seven years. Yes, seven years. And for five of them, we have had the same waitress, Jackie.
Jackie is amazing. She knows to pull two tables together so we will all fit around BEFORE we arrive. She knows that when one of my coworkers says, "Half and half," he is not referring to cream and milk but a glass of chocolate and white milk. She knows I usually order a half order of sour dough french toast with fresh blueberries on the side. She knows we all "love eggs". We love Jackie. So imagine our devastation when she wasn't there this morning!
I arrived rather early and immediately noticed that 1) the normal pot of hot tea and bowl of lemon wedges weren't on the table, 2) no peanut butter was to be found on the table, either, and 3) an unfamiliar face was serving drinks and taking orders! "Where's Jackie!?!" I asked. "She's not here," was the mournful reply. The waitress's name was Kelley. She didn't stand a chance.
One by one, coworkers began filing in. Each one reacted the same way--worried glances, shock, horror.... "Where's Jackie?! Why isn't Jackie here? Why is someone else taking our order?! She's going to mess it up. Where's Jackie?!" A fellow coworker remembered Jackie had said she'd be out of town this week. "When is she coming back?! She better be back next week!"
The carnage continued. We complained about Jackie being missing while Kelley was there and while she was away. If I were her, I would've spit in our food. We were awful and rude and very, very pathetic in that sad, abandoned puppy way. Lost without our caregiver, we all ordered breakfast sandwiches without any special requests.
It seems Jackie has become as much a part of breakfast as any one of us. We know about her kids, her husband, her interests. Coworkers have come and gone, but Jackie has remained the constant in our lives, something to hold on to as our lives constantly change. I know I will be just as sad to leave Jackie as I will many of my coworkers, but more importantly, I really hope she's there next week.