Saying Farewell to a Beloved Coworker Who is Moving On

I’ve worked for the same company for ten years. I’ve worked with the same core group of people for the past nine years. We’ve become a little family of sorts. We know each other’s quirks, likes, dislikes, allergies, and personal stories. We’ve been together through births, deaths, graduations, and the adventures of aging.

We’ve seen dozens of people come and go, but we’ve remained to train new ones. I thought we might stay together until retirement. I spend more time with these guys than I do my own family. Alas, all good things must come to an end.

We’re losing a member of our core family this week. He is dedicated to our cause, tolerant of even the most belligerent and ungrateful of clients, and the most diligent worker I’ve ever met. He’s the most caring guy I know. He would literally give any of us the shirt off his back if he thought we needed it.

I once told him that I had over-extended myself. He immediately asked me how much I was short. Bless his heart. He thought I meant I needed money. I was talking about taking on more projects than I had the time to accomplish, and he was worried that I couldn’t pay my mortgage.

He’s that kind of person. He’s been a bright spot in my day for over nine years, but tomorrow he’s taking his sunshine to some other lucky company. I’m really going to miss him. Nobody else is likely to sit down at my desk and ask me, “Did you hear about that shark?”

We had a farewell lunch for him today. We grilled burgers and brought potato salad, chips, and all the fixings. We all signed a card that I was amazed to find at the store. It had a tall glass of beer on the front and said “Warm Wishes and Frosty Beer.” It had a sweet message inside, but it’s what we wrote that made his eyes misty. I think he’s going to miss us just as much as we’ll miss him.

Saying good-bye is difficult. Instead, we say farewell. We wish him every happiness and sincerely hope to meet again.

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