the end of this meme and of my job

For the photo a day meme: a photo of you when you were happy.

Today I am happy. Tomorrow is my last day at my job.

I still believe in the public library’s importance to society, perhaps now more than ever. Some of my colleagues do so much with so little; their perseverance inspired me to pursue an advanced degree in the field. Each day brought a new challenge, and I tried to meet each one with tenacity and grace. I learned more at this job than in all of my prior jobs combined, not only about libraries but about the world and about myself.

But my job has changed me in some ways I can no longer abide. I do not like who I have become and I do not like what I have sacrificed in order to deal with the reality of my day-to-day.

This decision was not made lightly, and could not have been made at all if not for my husband’s dedication to my well-being. I have not always been good at discerning when or how to sever ties with parts of my life, but this time I do so on my own terms with my touchstones of honesty and compassion intact.

I do not yet know what my next venture will be, but I am moving forward with confidence and hope.

About Halsted M. Bernard

Halsted, a/k/a cygnoir, does stuff with words. Her favourite things to do with words are keeping this diary, writing stories, and organising information. She lives in Edinburgh with her husband, two cats, a few gadgets, several fountain pens, and many books.

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