Friday is the last day of school.  And working full-time in education, I’m supposed to be happy about this.  I should be counting down the minutes until I can sleep in, spending my days reading trashy magazines at the beach, and rejoicing in the fact I can eat my lunch any old time I want.  But this year, I am actually dreading the last day.  You see, this year, my two friends and two of my most favorite people, Karla and Karin, are retiring.  So when the bell rings on Friday, I not only have to say goodbye to the school year, but also to seeing their faces every Monday-Friday.  Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.

When I first accepted my job, I thought I would surely only stay for a year or two and move on to something else.  But very quickly this position turned into so much more than a job.  The people I work with became like a second family to me, and the school became a home.  I credit that familial spirit to Karla and Karin and the energy and love they put into their staff and school.  These past five years, I’ve had some personal challenges in my life that I would not have survived without their support.  And to a girl who misses being close to her own mother, the daily check-ins with these ladies, my pseudo-moms, have meant more to me than they’ll ever know!  I don’t even know who I’m going to get decorating advice from next year…or show off the new shopping purchase I made…or get delicious new restaurant recommendations from…PLEASE don’t go!!!

Here is Karla saying her goodbyes…

And Karin toasting the crowd from behind “her desk”.

Karin and Karla have been working together for 19 years…saying goodbye feels like the end of a (very fabulous) era.

Karin and Karla, next year just won’t be the same without you!  And come September, when I have to trade in my bathing suit for work clothes again, I’ll be thinking of you in your elastic pants and missing you like crazy!

All my love-