Time for Goodbye
Well, time has flown/dragged by, it seems. And in just a short 27 days, I'll be on a plane to Ecuador. I'm not exactly sure what I expected to feel around now. Maybe some kind of combination of excitement, anticipation, and a little fear. But really, all I feel is sad. This week has been my last full week working at Ruby's Diner, and last night I said goodbye to two of my co-workers. And it was a real, actual goodbye...not just a "see you when i get back."
The truth is, I won't be going back to work at Ruby's when I come ho
me, and while moving on to other things is an exciting idea, it's also a little painful simply because of how attached I have become to that place and those people and what it all has meant to me for the last (almost) 7 years. So I will have some more goodbye's to say tonight and a couple more each Sunday in June as my co-work
ers and I work our last shifts together. It's bittersweet, really. Because as much as I complain about the rude, awful, general public...I will miss it. I'll miss my friends. I'll miss the place in which I learned how to make everywhere I am into a mission field. I'll miss all the laughter and the silliness. I'll miss the free food. I'll miss having a place to belong, and a place where I am good at what I do.
So, truthfully, yesterday and today...I don't want to leave. I don't want to go to E
cuador. Because it's hard to say goodbye, even for the things you're certain will be worth it. And even though it's time to move on and I won't be going back to Ruby's when I come back from Ecuador, I know without a doubt that that place is a huge part of who I am and how I've gotten to be this way. (Maybe that's a good thing, or maybe not...I don't know). And I will always treasure the time I got to spend there.
I've been say
ing a lot of goodbye's lately. Thursday night was the swim banquet for Warren High and since this was my last year as a swim coach at Warren, my boss (girls' head coach Josie Cordero) had me stand up in front while she made a really nice speech and said thank you for the last 8 years of hard work. It was a real honor, and I felt really loved and appreciated. I will miss that job a lot too.
So, it seems the time for change has come...I didn't realize it would make me feel so melancholy. Maybe after all the goodbye's are said and I move on into the future, the excitement will set in more fully. I guess it's just part of the process.
The truth is, I won't be going back to work at Ruby's when I come ho
me, and while moving on to other things is an exciting idea, it's also a little painful simply because of how attached I have become to that place and those people and what it all has meant to me for the last (almost) 7 years. So I will have some more goodbye's to say tonight and a couple more each Sunday in June as my co-work
ers and I work our last shifts together. It's bittersweet, really. Because as much as I complain about the rude, awful, general public...I will miss it. I'll miss my friends. I'll miss the place in which I learned how to make everywhere I am into a mission field. I'll miss all the laughter and the silliness. I'll miss the free food. I'll miss having a place to belong, and a place where I am good at what I do.So, truthfully, yesterday and today...I don't want to leave. I don't want to go to E
cuador. Because it's hard to say goodbye, even for the things you're certain will be worth it. And even though it's time to move on and I won't be going back to Ruby's when I come back from Ecuador, I know without a doubt that that place is a huge part of who I am and how I've gotten to be this way. (Maybe that's a good thing, or maybe not...I don't know). And I will always treasure the time I got to spend there.I've been say
ing a lot of goodbye's lately. Thursday night was the swim banquet for Warren High and since this was my last year as a swim coach at Warren, my boss (girls' head coach Josie Cordero) had me stand up in front while she made a really nice speech and said thank you for the last 8 years of hard work. It was a real honor, and I felt really loved and appreciated. I will miss that job a lot too.So, it seems the time for change has come...I didn't realize it would make me feel so melancholy. Maybe after all the goodbye's are said and I move on into the future, the excitement will set in more fully. I guess it's just part of the process.
posted by Amy at 3:19 PM
8 Comments:
since Ruby's was a mission field, it might not have been the last goodbye.
I'm proud of you, Flasher. I really am. Ya done good.
And you are going to continue that. Though it is tuff to leave friends, I know the smiles, hugs, laughs, tears, questions, answers, and so many other things you get in Ecuador are going put you in a place you've never been.
When you make what seem to you and us to be sacrifices, in the process of following God's call, in the end, the sacrifices are small investments with an eternal high return.
"The children are right to laugh at you, Ralph."
Come on over to Arizona!!!!
Wow Mike.
That's a lot of time to say goodbye to Amy. Rough. Kind of like leaving high school all over again, only worse.
Wow, 7 years. I know it's gotta be tough. You're moving on to bigger and better things. Heck, who's gonna make fun of me for the next 6 months.
I guess you can do it via emails, im, and / or skype. It just won't be the same.
I'll miss you.
I know that I'm going to miss you a whole lot, even though we don't hang out as much as we used to.
Life is an adventure and we never know what's going to happen next. When one door closes another opens.
Get out there and show the world Amy.
(Before you do that though, can we hang out one more time?)
Amy,
I realize that you don't know me by name but by face you'd probably recognize me as I've had you as an excellent server quite a few times. It's by chance that I ran across one of the pictures that led me to your blog. When I'd go to Ruby's to visit my friend Marissa W., there was something different about you in a good way and you've always been quick with a smile even if I didn't have you as a server. After reading your blogs and realizing that you're one of the Lord's chosen ones, I realized why you seemed different. You are full of the Spirit and that is awesome. To know that you're giving up your comfort zone to serve the Lord, is great. When you step out of your comfort zones you grow the most. I look forward to reading about your work in Ecuador and I'll leave you with a couple scriptures. Gal 5:22 & 25. You were one of my favorite servers after Marissa left! Good job!
Amers, I've been praying for you and for all the things God has given and will give.
Yes, a couple of them are Niall pictures and they are very nice.
You are all right, it will be a great experience and i'll be so glad i did it. i am already glad i'm going to do it...sometimes it's just hard to let go of things.
i really appreciate all your encouragement and prayers. i am certain this process would be a million times more difficult without you guys.
thanks :-)
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