One week ago I celebrated my 22nd anniversary with my current employer. In six weeks I will be accepting an early retirement.
How strange to end a relationship that seemed to define who I was day and in day out for more than two decades. But it's time to leave -- the job climate in Michigan is a little iffy, and my customer has always been the auto industry, making it iffier still. I'd rather leave under my own steam than be unceremoneously booted out the door. I feel particularly blessed to be offered an early retirement -- my company does not offer them often (last time was nearly 10 years ago, and I was not eligible at that time). There is no guarantee that they'll offer another, so I'm grabbing the opportunity.
My career has seen me through one miscarriage, my difficult pregnancy with Teddy, Ted's two active-duty deployments, and countless positions, managers, coworkers, and friendships. The one constant is that I identified with my company, a huge global information services corporation.
I won't remain a lady of leisure -- with Teddy in Catholic high school, and heading to (expensive!) college next year, I need to work. (Well, the truth is, poor financial planning and some major financial mistakes in my past make it imperative that I have an income.) I will, though, take a couple of months off to regroup and discern where God wants me to be.
The company I work for has always been very good to me. I have learned so much about business, especially about my particular field (instructional design), and I am confident that I can carry those skills with me wherever I go. I'm not really sad, just a little stunned.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow..."
Ruthann
