Leaving Well

Throughout the 25 years of my life so far, there have been a few common themes that have played important roles in the growing-up process. One very important theme is "leaving well"

How does one leave well? A good question indeed! I have found that in each stage of life there is an entering process as well as a leaving process. Some of these transitions happen so naturally that one hardly notices the change. For example, moving up from the red class to the blue class in swimming lessons as a child. I was in the red class but was ready for the blue class, I was operating as if I was already in the blue class, I was hanging out with all the kids from the blue class, so when I actually moved into the blue class, not much changed.

A more noticeable transition was from 8th grade to my freshman year of high school. I was the queen of 8th grade, and then, suddenly I was no one. I was a small, frightened, directionally challeneged person in one of the biggest high schools in the state! I couldn't find my classes, I couldn't remember where my locker was, I didn't know why the older kids thought it was okay to be making out in the hallways, and I managed to tumble down the main staircase during my first month there! Worst of all, deep down inside I knew that I would make it through, that I would eventually find my way and make my place...but until then, life wasn't going to be easy. My parents advised me to "squeeze every drop out of every day" and told me that before I knew it I would be graduation from Penn and heading off to college somewhere!

Before I knew it, I was leaving Penn...and then, all of a sudden I was married and living in Chicago!

Today I find myself in an interesting place. I have 4 days left in my current job before moving into what could very well be the most exciting career move I have ever made. In my new role at Aspire!One I will be utilizing my strengths, gifts, and my life experiences! I will be surrounded by incredibly sharp people ... the kind I want to be like ... in short, I can't wait to get outta here so I can jump into this new phase of ministry and life! Ahhhhh!

Which brings me back to the topic of leaving well. I have been brainstorming ways for myself to leave this phase of life well. Leaving well is a choice. I have to make the desicion to put in the extra effort that is required when attempting to leave well. I have created the most beautifully written farewell brief in the history of The Salvation Army. The goal is that anyone who reads it could easily do everything that I have done in my 8 months working here.

And that, my friend, is one way that I have chosen to leave well today.