Endings, Beginnings And Blessings

Endings are beginnings that are really blessings! Today marks the end of my personal challenge, to blog everyday for a month. When I started writing today’s post, which is actually #34 written this month *brushes shoulders off*, four of them will be published later in July. All I could hear was Leslie’s voice from The Hangover movie  saying, “but did you die?”

Nope! I blogged every day for 30 days and I didn’t die. It is also the start of my blogging journey once again. Getting back into writing because I love it and publishing…because I wont die when I do. 

It’s also a FRIDAY, which seems the perfect day to end my blog challenge. It’s Five Minute Friday time and our word prompt this week is BLESSING. Another full circle moment if you ask me. Because this blogging community is such a huge blessing in my life.

You can join in too. The rules are pretty simple – write for 5 minutes on the word prompt for the week and post to your blog, then add your post to the linky party over at the Five Minute Friday community.

Setting timer now…

GO

Today, marks the end of a chapter for me. It was my last day on my current desk within a department I practically grew up in. On Monday, I move to a new department, new desk, new people, new culture. This move was even more poignant, because I was not unhappy with my work.

Yes it was hectic at times but I’ve found that for me, the work was never the issue. I loved what I did, the people and relationships, however, that’s where the most stress really came from. But I spent eight years in this department. I am writing it now and I cannot believe it has been eight whole years.

You kinda expect “people stress” in a work environment anyway and after eight years, that is more than reasonable. But, they welcomed me during the worst time in my life. They supported me through mummy’s illness and they were there for me when she died. I grew up with this bunch of people. They are my family. And I consider myself truly blessed to have them in my life.

As I moved from area to area within the department, I kept adding skills to my toolbox. These are the skills I hope to use well in my new job. I consider it a blessing to have spent eight years in a space that allowed for growth.

STOP

My timer just went off. And I have so much more I want to say. So I’m going to cheat for a bit.

I am struggling a bit with the tense I am supposed to be writing this post in. When I think of my department, it is still in the present tense. So for the purpose of my peace of mind and writing, I will write this in the present.

Blessings upon blessings

My manager is a big believer in empowering staff and teamwork. Space, time and this medium does not allow for sharing three years under her leadership. But her guidance helped me add to my toolbox over the years. I have learnt so much from her and I will be forever grateful.

We spend a third of our day at the office and there will always be overlap. You don’t go into the office looking for friends, but it happens eventually. And I am blessed to say that I have made some true friends over the years.

In the work environment, where people are replaced and nothing is permanent, it can seem like you’re just a cog. Which is why, when you love what you do and you work hard, you want to know that you made a valuable contribution. That you mattered. That your being there, was in fact a blessing. My manager said a few words at the little farewell gathering the team had for me. If she said five sentences, in four of them she mentioned, “We don’t want you to go”.  

That meant a lot. I had other persons call to express their happiness that I am moving forward, to bigger and better. But also sadness that I wont be on the desk anymore. That also meant a lot. And now I take all of that with me to my new job.

I look forward to working hard and making a valuable contribution in my new job. Here’s to making better mistakes, learning and growing. I look forward to taking what the Father has given me and multiplying it, through the work that I do. So that when I come to another ending, it will be the start of something wonderful and yet another blessing.