Significant moments in life deserve to be celebrated, and the more significant the milestone, the more it should be observed with care, surrounded by those we love. In the North American culture, birthdays and anniversaries are traditionally reserved as special moments to be shared with family and friends, but such moments are not reserved only to these two occasions.
In the coming days, a dear friend will complete her tenure of leadership and move on to new and exciting adventures. It's not always easy to face such moments because in one breath we are recognizing all our collective achievements while in another we are regretting the fact that the guest of honour will no longer be around. Sure, such people may maintain a friendship or two, but the reality is that when major change occurs, things are never the same.
Today was a day for recognizing wonderful work, for sharing happy memories, for acknowledging struggles that have been lived during what seems like a lifetime of devotion to the good of others. What started out as a dream for cross-cultural daycare in response to the reality that so many families are made up of double income earners has blossomed into a network of services and opportunities for families to enjoy time with their children in a safe, fun-loving environment.
Whether we have had the privilege of working with her for the past thirty odd years, or just for a scant number of months, we have all enjoyed the wonderful gift of being invited into Eve's heart - there to share a dream which in some senses has become a reality, but in others is still becoming.
As responsibility now gives way to leisure, and the gavel of administration is now traded for the trowel and the paddle, we give thanks for all that has been done, and we look forward to many more opportunities to share laughter, tears and wisdom.
Happy retirement.
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