Meeting adjourned...

Because of the camaraderie that develops in high performing groups, they are more often difficult to disband. Members who work closely to meet the same goals depend on each other for the success of the project – regardless of the outcome: success of the group is not dependent on the achievement of goals, but the opposite can certainly be said to be true!

Flash back 9 years –

The hardest group for me to ever leave was my first early childhood position. Our group was very small but it was tightly knit. Forming occurred naturally and quickly not only between staff members but with families as well. Storming, norming and performing seemed effortless in most cases since we shared deeply the goal of supporting and serving children, families, and each other. We came to depend on each other and worked as one extended entity so when life’s circumstances made it necessary for me to leave after 5 years I was at once torn between struggling through another year and trading the safety of this network for the uncertainty ahead. Ultimately, I was able to say my farewells to the children and families at our annual year-end celebration and through tears and laughter we shared our mutual appreciation and memories as many of us moved on. The one thing, however, that facilitated closure the most was knowing that no matter where life took me – my “team” would always be with me one way or another.

Flash forward six months –

As our courses here with Walden wrap up and completion draws near some relationships will no doubt endure while others simply become part of the experience and fade with time. Ideally, I imagine that names, faces, and voices would come together as we meet in Minneapolis to accept our hard-earned accolades (and perhaps toast to our tenacity!) perhaps even be able to shake the hands of our professors who guided us through the process. I have no idea what to really expect, but I do know that I am expecting SOMETHING!

As an early childhood educator, I’ll be honest, at the end of each year there are those children and families that I gladly extend a fond adieu while others will be missed but will blend into the archives of my mind. Still others receive a simple farewell in expectation of their immediate or eventual return. It is the rest that will tear at my heartstrings because of the bond that has formed and the successes that have been achieved. Regardless, this process of adjourning provides the closure of one chapter that ultimately leads to the opening of the next. The question now is – will this one wrap up cleanly, or will it be a nail-biting cliffhanger?