Everyone should have a retirement party when they retire. It's a great way to end your career. Hearing your co-workers talk about how much they are going to miss you and how wonderful you were at your job means a lot to someone who has a passion for their profession. As I have mentioned before, ending your teaching career isn't just retiring from your "job," it's leaving a way of life that was a calling - a passion for something you love.
My family was at my retirement party. When you work with the same people for a long time, they become your 2nd family. Friday night, my 1st family met my second family. My real family put names with faces of my work family and vice versa. As my work family spoke about all of the hours that I had put into my job as Association President and teacher, I began to wonder what my real family was thinking. Were they proud of me or were they thinking about all of the time I spent away from them? I think it was a little of both.
I believe it's time to make it up to them. Starting 18 days from now.
