Bad at Goodbye

The weather has changed from the picturesque bright blue skies of Autumn to the wind-swept gray days we expect of an Upper Peninsula October.  The days that strip the beautifully colored leaves from the trees and scatter them, bare branches are left to shoulder the snow load that winter will inevitably bring.

It seems I almost always make big life changes in the Autumn.  The drastic change from summer to winter emboldens me to shed my leaves and embrace the new opportunity of a job, home, or life.

I have been writing about the why and what is happening as I embark on my new adventure to help and care for others connecting and organizing homes and lives.  To make this big giant leap I had to leave my job.  I loved my job, it was challenging and pushed me to learn and believe in myself in a way that I didn’t know I was capable of. 

So here I am venturing out to do the bravest thing I have ever done, and I am terrible at goodbyes.  Both big and small goodbyes have always left me with cringeworthy afterthoughts of what could have been said or done differently.

Thursday was my last day of work.  Many people stopped to say goodbye, with kind words and a few teary eyes.  One special co-worker sent a lovely note that hangs on my refrigerator.  I will miss these people, good hardworking salt of the earth people.  Doing what is right even when it is difficult because it is the right thing to do. 

When you work together for long enough the stories of our lives seep into everyday conversations.  The good stories of babies, puppies, weddings, and star gazing.  The hard stories of graduations, college drop-offs, divorces, break ups, passings of loved ones.  In all of the jobs I have held, I carry the memories of those stories of those really hard times and the most joyous of moments.   

I am terrible at goodbyes.  I hate for anything to truly end.  So I will finish with this. Thank you, my fellow co-workers, for allowing me to be a part of your story, for sharing, for laughing, for crying. Thank you for your patience and understanding and for allowing and making space for positivity and every day! See you later~