One week left and I learned at last week’s staff meeting what will be the challenge for me – saying good by to the staff. I presented a ten-year anniversary pin to M whose anniversary is in September, but I wanted to do it before I left. I hired her and have always been impressed with her work, promoted her, and just like her. Toward the end of the presentation I noticed a feeling in my chest and thought, I just may cry. I held it together and didn’t think anyone noticed. Then at the end of the meeting I started to thank everyone for their work and tell them how much I appreciated them and I started tearing up and couldn’t finish. I’ve done all the planning of what I will do, saving money, financial preparation for when I retire, but how do you plan to say good by?
My analogy for knowing my co-workers is they all represent different books that I have started reading. They are all interesting and I an enjoying the read. Now, the books will be taken away before I have finished. I won’t know how each story finishes. There will be some folks that I will see, but for the most part many I probably won’t see again. Our paths may not cross again except for a random encounter. This is how it works in our society and maybe in most.
This last week will be hard. I have a cookout at lunch one day and a reception my last day. It will help having friends there that I will see again. It will be hard to say farewell to co-workers and folks from agencies with whom I have worked. I still have work to do and have been thinking about how to get it accomplished. Really, that’s the easy part of finishing up 22 years at an agency – it’s saying good by to people that is hard.
I added the picture above for a bright spot. 11 weeks and Magnum says "I own this tunnel!"
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