There were no special announcements when I left my place of work, one that I dedicated seven and a half years to. The people who gave those announcements did not believe I was worth the trouble, yet one of the ladies from the business area got one and she had not even been there for a year. Funny, how those things play out. At least my team gave me a great farewell lunch and that made me feel better. Still, had I not mentioned I was leaving to those outside of my team, no one would have been wiser about my departure.

Here’s the farewell speech I never got say:

I want to say thank you to everyone here taking time out to see me off. This place has become a second home to me and many of you have become like family so it saddens me to leave. I have a simple request before I go- that is for all of you to take some time out today to thank each other for working here, and when you do be mindful that you and that person you’re thanking wants to be happy and to feel appreciated like you. Now if or when the time comes when someone tells you that you are not worth investing in- do not let that person make you feel expendable- remember your worth and advocate for yourself even if you don’t think it will make a difference. We all have value here and we need our voices to be heard. We all make sacrifices- some of us work long or awkward hours, some of us break our backs to make things happen- we care about what we do- we go above and beyond- and that’s what makes this place great! When you finished thanking someone remember to thank yourself as well. Staff appreciation is not about a day- it’s about us. investing in each other, being loyal to each other, believing in each other. We live in an era of unrest and divisiveness- marginalized groups are calling out the greed, discrimination, injustice. Transparency is now in demand. These times are calling for change. Our current administration needs to change. Management needs to change. We need to change, and for that to happen we need to stop pretending everything is ok. Those with power and privilege need to remember that their comfort exists at the expense of others- they have the capacity to bridge the ever widening gap of inequality- and they have the duty and dharma as human beings to help transform a system we all know to be broken. We need to humanize each other in the face of bureaucracy. We need to choose people over profit.

Be fearless,. be compassionate, be real. If we can become what we need to be- if those on top could quench their greed- then we can achieve happiness together.