The Evermore Romantic Soul

Before starting my new job, I decided to make peace with another chapter of my life. To do that, I created a small goodbye ritual. I don’t know if I would call it closure, or simply making peace with a part of me that had been lingering for a while.

That part was my former employer, IKEA. I worked there for a decade. It was a great place to work, and while I’m sure I’ll see some of my colleagues again, there is one person in particular who stands out: Johny. He was my manager for many years, and I consider him a mentor. He taught me a lot. When I went to visit, I offered him a bottle of wine since he is retiring soon, and I am not sure when our paths will cross again. I truly wish him the best.

I was also happy to see my other colleagues again, both from the store and customer service. It made me realize how much I miss them too. IKEA wasn’t as bad as I sometimes thought. I worked in the kitchen department as a designer and later in client service. For my old colleagues from the kitchen department, I brought some sweet treats. They asked me why I did that, but I couldn’t explain it. How do you tell people that you are saying goodbye and thank you, not just to them, but to a whole part of your past? So instead I replied, “For no reason, I just hoped you’d enjoy some sweets I brought.” In truth, it was much more than that.

For me, it was about making peace with myself, putting things behind me, and not leaving anything unsaid. All I really did was small talk and leave some sweets behind, but it carried more meaning for me. Just like with the letters I wrote, it was about starting fresh and letting go of old regrets. I am grateful for my old colleagues and especially for my mentor. But imagine trying to explain that in simple words. To explain that you are grateful for so much, that you are making peace with yourself, and that seeing them again mattered deeply to you. It would sound odd, maybe even crazy to some.

And yet, this is who I am. A romantic soul. For me, gratitude often shows itself through gestures, both big and small. I do these things because people were, and still are, important to me, and I want to honor that.

I express myself in small, clumsy offerings of thanks and love, awkward yes, but always kind.

Malta 2023