Right off the bat, I think I’ve messed up. I should have called it transitions pt. 1, except it’s not a series, this certainly isn’t the first….
I start a new job in a little over a month. I gave notice at my current job last week. It feels like it will be a long and slow goodby – to too many things, people, and places. After over 40 years, I’m leaving home. Just typing that gave me a lump in my throat. That’s a word that you’ll see me use a lot – HOME.
Leaving has been touching and conflicting. It’s given me a sadness that crawls up close to the edge of regret. It’s made me think deeply about how much place matters, and what good, connected relationships look like (or don’t). It’s given me a new appreciation for the colleagues I’ve kept at arm’s length and for the work I’ve done over the past seven years.
My co-workers have decided to send me off with lunch and drinks at one of my favorite watering holes Isaac Newton’s. They are a great bunch of people who are determined to make the world (at least our corner of it) a better place. Not many people can say that about their co-workers. I’ve been beyond lucky to work with so many kind and generous people.
Among the things I do at work is I serve as the secretary for our county’s coalition to end homelessness. When I told them I was leaving to head up fundraising for The Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN, they brought BBQ chips, sweet tea, and played blues music for me at our last meeting. As I’ve notified other members of my nonprofit community, I’ve gotten emails telling me that I’ll be missed, that I’ve made a difference…. It has been a warm send off. I hope other people hear those types of things when it’s their time to move on. It’s a good reminder to me to tell people that they matter, that they’ll be missed.