{Sentimental Sundays} Farewells... What Does It Mean To You?

Goodbye, Au Revoir, Sayonara... Farewells... what does it mean to you?

Over my years with my current company, I've seen more than enough of farewell gatherings for colleagues who have decided (or have been decided) to leave their positions. Be it a push factor or a pull factor, there's always a tinge of sadness whenever news is announced that another person is leaving, no matter the level of closeness which we had shared as co-workers. Afterall, these are people whom I see 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, week after week.

Sometimes, colleagues will remain just as colleagues. Sometimes, colleagues will become friends. Sometimes, colleagues will become more than friends. One ex-colleague became my BFF. Whatever it may be, at one point in our life, we've built a common memory of our working days (and numerous lunchtime bitching haha) together.

Every time we have a farewell gathering, the chosen venue is always at a pub near the office for the sake of everyone's convenience. KPO, Dubliner, No.5 Emerald Hill, we've been to it all, so this time, we decided to have a change and went to Brotzeit @ 313 Somerset for Qiu Xin's farewell.

Over the platter of crackling pork knuckles, yummy sausages and countless glasses of beer (mango juice for me lol!!), what we had shared is more than food that evening. I remembered seeing Qiu Xin crying a few weeks into the job, I can only help her in little areas where I can. I admired her professionalism amid the tough challenges, her infectious laughter and positivity will always serve as a reminder of how we should take on the lemons being thrown at us.

So back to my question: what does farewell mean to you?

To me, it means the embarking of a new journey as the first step is taken into the newly opened door. Whatever the reasons for leaving, whether it is by own choice or not, I believe what comes next will always be better. While feelings of sadness can't be denied, feelings of happiness will soon surpassed it.

Cheers to exciting endeavors ahead!
 

{Sentimental Sundays} is a Sunday series where I share my thoughts and feelings which may or may not be food related. This post is dedicated to Qiu Xin and all my ex-colleagues :)

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