bittersweet

I am so full of mixed emotions! Last week was the last week of work at the library for me and this next week is the last week at the vet clinic. I have made many friends along the way at both jobs and feel very sad. Hey, who says that just because you leave a place or a chapter in your life closes that all friendships have to end? No-one, but isn't that the way it goes? I mean lets face it, how many of us keep in contact with the close friends from high school, or the friends we had from Church when we were growing up, or other jobs we have made friends at? Generally you have 1 or 2 from each place, but thats about it. Why do some people only come into your life for only a season? You become friends with them, then something changes and they disappear? Shouldn't life be more about long-lasting friendships and deeper connections with people? We always say things like "life gets in the way" but what does that mean exactly? What are we so busy doing that we don't have time for friends?
I am going to miss my jobs, and most of my co-workers, I have worked at the vet clinic for 7 years and have truely loved the job. My favorite part was the surgery days, (with the exception of bone surgeries--too gruesome for my taste) but I always winced my way through them. I am gonna miss the regular clients that I got to know and some of our regular patients. The puppies and kittens were always fun too. I will miss most of my co-workers, we had some wonderful times together, and some were emotional when we would watch some of our favorite patients become sick, or hurt, or worse--pass away. We connected emotional bonds with some of them as well. That was truely the hardest part of the job and trying to console the owners. 7 years is a long time, and it is hard to turn and walk away!
As for the library? I wasn't even there a year, but it didn't take long to start enjoying the job and the people. I always thought it would be cool to work in a library and am thankful that I had the opportunity to do so. The thing that made it a little easier was that things were changing there several weeks before I left, and the people that made it so much fun had either moved to different departments or had retired. (with the exception of one person who is still in the childrens department, I feel bad for leaving her and am gonna miss her, I wish her the best!) So with the original gang already mostly gone that made it a little easier. I am just gonna remember the fun nights we had and how much we laughed.
I know staying home with the baby is the best thing, but with this chapter of my life closing it is gonna take a huge adjustment. I pray this next chapter is a good and happy one and I can keep some of the people from the last one in my story of life. I hope they don't disappear like others have from long ago!