The Real World Comes to Say Hello

 A brief departure from humor today.  It won't happen often but it will happen occasionally.

So today was a tough day.  The good news is I got up and out the door by 0800.  The not so good news is the reason I was out the door was to receive my "packet".  The termination packet necessitated by the lay off.  The packet is a tall stack of papers that tell you what to expect in the next couple of months regarding your new status as an unemployed person.  Not in the emotional don't-worry-you'll-get-over-this way.  In the step A through Z way.  What to capture on your last time card, when you'll get your termination pay and the universal favorite, just how much COBRA costs.  Ouch.

The best part was feeling the warmth from the best team I have ever worked with.  There were tears, yes, and there were words of encouragement and affection as well.  This is the only place I have ever worked where everyone WANTED to be there.  If you didn't want to be there, you didn't stay.  Sounds odd to someone outside of medicine I suppose, but healthcare is different.  I've had more than one job that gave me a paycheck and paid some bills.  This is the only job that not only paid the bills, but left me feeling like what I did made a difference.  This is the only job I've had that when you left some task undone the next shift didn't slap you up the side of your head, they smiled and said they would take care of it.  And they meant it.  And you did the same for them.  I will miss them all.

Enough of the pity party.  Hugs to all, the best is yet to come.  I've made my list of possible new careers and will share them tomorrow.  I'm hoping my fellow worker bee's will also consider the possibilities.  What was the name of that old song from Timbuk3?  The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades?  Catch you on the flip side!  For now, I have to find the tissues.