Because I Had To … Goodbye.
It is never easy to say goodbye to people, places, things or experiences that bring us happiness or purpose: A beloved family member you don’t get to see nearly often enough. A first home filled with memories. New friends you meet on an amazing vacation. A car with just the right number of bells and whistles. A comfy and perfectly worn couch…
Like finishing a good book, it feels good to read the last chapter but also a bit sad to know that it is (typically) the end of the story. Some goodbyes can be both a joyful and sad expression of closure. And so, it is with these same feelings simmering in both my head and my heart, that the time has come for me to say goodbye to writing this column.
Over the span of the past eight years, I have responded to the title of this column hundreds of times. Some of my responses have been rather lighthearted or silly, while others have been more thought provoking. Nevertheless, I have tried to maintain two primary constructs in considering my topics: positivity and relatability.
But eight years is a long time and as much as I wrote about topics that might resonate with you, I recognize that, in the end, I mostly shared a better part of my own life and happenings. You came with me on many of my travel adventures as I transformed from being a novice passenger to a more confident globetrotter. You came with me as I added grandmother and PhD to my identity. You came with me during COVID, and, more importantly, you stayed with me after… Letting go of this column feels a bit like letting go of an old friend.
But of all my columns, none is more significant and relevant at this time than my very first column: Because I Had To… Write. For me, writing is not only my happy place, but also my soul. Ever since I can remember, I have identified as a writer and a storyteller. And although there is real work that goes into crafting a good story, it never ever feels like work to me. Nevertheless, I realize that I need to have the creative time and space to accomplish all the writing and storytelling I have brewing in my head. Since I am not aging like Benjamin Button, the time has come to, simply stated, focus and do it.
So, as you come to the last paragraph of reading my last column, consider this: It may be the final chapter of this book in my life, but it is far from my last chapter. There will be more, I promise! And in the meantime, I have left you a wonderful place filled with books and stories to be discovered. And soon enough, in between so many great writers and storytellers, you may even find one or two or three or four of my books.
Simply because…I Had To.
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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