Packing, With Pleasant Diversions...

A friend put it quite succinctly last night - this move is like no other I've experienced. Not only do I have no idea where I'm eventually moving to (which complicates what should be kept, sold or donated) but it's also like packing at the same time for a trip that I don't know how long will last. Do I pack for a week, a month, six months?

I've spent weeks trying to decide if each item is to go into storage (becoming somewhat inaccessible) or should be with me (is more than a couple of suitcases too much to bring?) Labelling has been a long and tedious process - what if I need something in a hurry- will I find it quickly enough? More to the point, if I'm not mobile - have I labelled everything clearly enough that someone else can find it for me amongst the many boxes?

Every turn brings a new challenge. I'm finding out that lots of government departments don't accept a PO Box as a legal address. And that you can't do a Canada Post mail redirection from a PO Box to a new address when I have one. Frustration after frustration.

With losing my email addresses, my phone number and my home address I've been feeling like I'm falling off the grid on Sunday.

And then I get the most pleasant reminders that there are lots of people who won't let me.

This week I heard from several colleagues from my pre Intrepid Lens days. News is travelling that I'm not well, and I'm touched that many haven taken time to write lovely notes of encouragement.

One in particular shared a sentiment that touched me more than he probably realizes.He thanked me for giving him his first big chance. I was in a position to hire several associates many years back for a new team and his resume had caught my attention. He, along with several others at the time, joined the team I was assembling for the telecom company I worked for. We were making it up as we went along, trying to fill a void in looking after the needs of our customers. Quite the ride!

If I can give myself credit for anything, it's for being a pretty good judge of character. I've hired many employees over the years in different companies - and never regretted one. Some working relationships may have been more challenging than others, but everyone brought something valuable to the table. And it's never been about technical skills - those can be taught - it's been about who each of them were as a person.

To hear that my decision to hire this gentleman so many years back made a difference in his life put a grin on my face yesterday. We all want to feel like we've made a difference. And I have my lovely daughter as living testament to having done at least a few things right during my time here!

Truly - this isn't a request for readers of this blog to let me know if I made a difference - I'm not fishing! I know by now that I left a footprint. Good or bad experiences, I was here.  A very dear friend pointed out to me that none of us are forgotten until the very last person that each of us knew leaves this earth.

(And thank you to those of you who've emailed me privately to let me know that you're glad to see that I'm posting on the blog again!) :-)