Goodbye to my friends at BPG

For over three years now, I've worked at Baker Publishing Group, marketing great books and discovering lots about myself and others in the process.

I've enjoyed the challenge of maintaining relationships with authors, building marketing plans and executing them, and spending lots of creative time behind closed doors with coworker-friends, titling books and trying to decide which ones should be published and how.

I cleaned out my desk. I emptied my email inbox. I sent messages telling people to contact my coworker after I left. I organized my files. And yesterday when it came time to finally exit the building, with wellwishes in tow, I felt my lower lip tremble as I said so many hasty goodbyes.

I walked out and walked away from my daily routine, a job rich with relationship, and a life filled with access to good resources. Sigh.

But it is only right to say goodbye. Because until one does, she cannot walk forward into the new life that awaits her. She must say goodbye and even allow the emotion of it all to make her stomach turn and her eyes water. This is what therapists call closure. It is necessary, but I believe I've had enough of it now.

There are only so many times the heart can take saying goodbye to some of the most amazing people I've known, at work and out of work.

Goodbye dear, dear friends. I keep you in my heart always--and I thank God for email. :)