I am officially unemployed. I quit my job of 10 years last week after deciding that I would be a much happier person without it. Jav is a most wonderful husband to support me in this decision, but he above everyone else knows that I have been unhappy there for a couple of years now.
The owner of the company has always been great to me. He's bought us very generous wedding, housewarming and baby gifts. He's let me borrow company vehicles if one of ours was in the shop. He's approved raises and bonuses for me since I've worked there. But we had some issues about cash flow, and those differences of opinion made my job next to impossible most of the time.
My boss also has been wonderful to work for. She has always treated me with great respect and made me feel like my opinion about company issues really mattered. But we became good friends during the last 10 years, which complicated things in our work relationship.
I had already been out for 2-1/2 months of my 3 month maternity leave when I decided to quit. I tried to make things a little better by offering to work part-time to serve out a two-weeks notice, and even to help train my replacement. They were supposed to think about it and call me. Instead I got a letter saying thanks, but no thanks because you have left us in a bind, but good luck with your new life (not verbatim, but that was the gist of it).
I went up to say goodbbye to everyone and turn in my keys on Thursday. It made me a little sad - there are some really nice people who work there and I will miss them. Everybody was thrilled to meet Gabriel and wanted me to come back and visit often, except for the owner, who could barely look me in the eye and didn't even get up to hug me.
I guess I'm feeling as slighted as they are. After 10 years of working there, with the last 6 dealing with horrible cash flow issues in which the company was never slowed down with vendors refusing to ship because of my juggling of funds, and two years of paying off our bank line of credit with even more juggling, I felt like I at least deserved a hug goodbye and a little more understanding about wanting to be a stay-at-home Mom.
I will not miss the feeling of absolute dread I had started having every Monday morning at the beginning of each new work week. I will not miss having to field calls from angry vendors that we owed money to, or making sure I jotted down exactly when I told people I would pay them. I will not miss having my requests for better payment terms with vendors ignored, or salespeople giving special long terms to customers. I will not miss office politics and gossip.
I guess the only things I'll miss is some of the people and a paycheck.
Besides, I have a much more important job now, one that I enjoy more than anything I've ever done before because of that importance.
4 comments:
Well, unfortunately there are still a lot of people out there that don't realize how much better it is to give up the financial ease of having two incomes for the emotional ease of having a parent home full time (or something close to that).
They will realize really how great you were when that new person has to handle all that juggling.
You absolutely did the right thing. As a mom who stayed home with my babies almost 30 years ago, I can say I never, ever regretted it. It is the one risk that is always worth taking, because the payoff is guaranteed and very satisfing for mommy, daddy and baby. Go, Kim! You were very brave and deserve a big hug.
We cut coupons, but live happily as a "stay at home mommy family". Hope you find as much happiness in your new situation.
One thing I noticed, is that my years on the job sort of all blurred together into a 7 year blob. But there are so many event that clearly punctuate my ten years with the kids. It seems to me to be a much more meaningful way to spend a lifetime.
xxxooo
Thanks for all the support! I know as every day goes by that I did the right thing, because I haven't been this happy (or this tired) in a long, long time.
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