I’m currently transitioning from my job to becoming a stay-at-home mom and doing some freelance writing. It’s the best thing for my family at this time, and I’m really looking forward to the change of pace, but like with most transitions, it comes with some losses.
One of those losses is my network of close work friends.
Almost a decade ago, I started working in Dayton and I quickly accumulated lots of “work friends.” They have been with me through many life changes and have been a steady source of fun and inspiration at work. I have made lifelong friends and I’m so thankful for the bonds we forged while operating on the same career path.
But like with all things, time changes circumstances and I will no longer be working alongside them or in the same career at all. It’s what I want, but it also means the large network of friends I had and the very full social calendar I’ve been operating with is now naturally changing. And for a moment, I felt some sadness around this shift.
Who am I if not the social coordinator for our work group? So much of my life was tied up in my coworkers’ lives and our outings; it feels strange and unnatural to not be in the mix now. But I remembered something my mom used to say quite often. No doubt a saying she saw stitched on a pillow or maybe one her mother used to repeat to her.
“Some friends are here for a reason, some for a season, and some for a lifetime.”
My coworkers fall into almost all of those categories. Some I met along the way and they helped me stay sane. Some carried me through tough seasons, and some I’ve forged bonds with that will last long past our time working together. I’m honestly thankful for all of them, no matter what category they fall into.
I’m finding as I age it’s no longer as important to me to have loads of friends. I don’t need to always be the life of the party or the social butterfly I once was. I am happy to have a small but tight circle that I can call no matter what and I know they will answer. My priorities have shifted as my life has progressed and my friendship circle reflects that. I am incredibly thankful for all my friends, the ones who have taught me something, the ones who have carried me through something, and the ones who will forever be by my side.
To those who I leave, I’m adopting a Marie Kondo attitude and thanking them for the joy they brought to my life and wishing them well. Friendship, in whatever form and for however long, is always a gift.
