Goodbye Chicago

This has been a tough week. Tomorrow the truck comes to take our stuff to Texas. We'll leave on Wednesday. I knew this was coming and I have been surprised that I wasn't feeling odd or sad or stressed for most of the summer. There were a lot of things going on at work and enough happening to keep my mind off the move (for the most part). But the last week has been hard.

Wednesday and Thursday I said good bye to all my friends and colleagues at work. They have been a big part of my life for the past nine years. Some have left and new people have arrived, but the people I work most closely with have been a real source of strength for me, both professionally and personally. I hope I can manage to stay in touch now that we aren't interacting every day. We accomplished a lot of really good things in the last few years, things that will last beyond my departure because of the high quality of the people who remain. I wish them all the best.

Tonight we said good bye to our closest friends away from work. Over the past few years, we've spent a part of nearly every weekend with them. They have been our movie and restaurant buddies and have provided me with a dog to pet when I didn't have one of my own. We will miss them dearly. My friend Gino remarked that they never expected to find such good friends so late in life. Nor did we and having their friendship has been one of the best things about coming to Chicago. It's tough to know that they'll be a thousand miles away.

Tomorrow will be the worst. We'll say goodbye to our son and daughter-in-law and our grandkids. I came to work in Chicago just a week before my first grandchild was born. We've been here for the arrival of our other three grandchildren and watched them all grow. It's been an unbelievable experience. Not seeing our son and daughter-in-law and the kids on a regular basis will be very hard for me. They've always been around and always been a joy. One couldn't ask for a better bunch. We have been very lucky to have so much time with our son, his wife and our grandchildren. I love them all more than I can say. Tomorrow will be sad.

On the bright side, we'll have both of our daughters in Texas, as well as the best son-in-law imaginable and our newest grandchild. Family is very important and I'm glad we will still have some family close.

Even when you know changes are coming, it isn't easy. I'm not much given to outward displays of emotion, but some of the partings have been hard. I hope everyone knows I will miss them.