Letters from NYC

Emotionally Challenging Day

It’s been a really tough and sad day for me!

The emotional rollercoaster began when JD, my breakfast buddy for the past 7 months, got all choked up as we were making breakfast for the last time together in our office's microscopic kitchen. Actually, that’s how we met and began our friendship. Being creatures of similar schedules and habits, we wound up preparing breakfast at the same time every morning in that small kitchen.. After a few weeks we easily got into a rhythm and dance where we ended sharing the responsiblities of making tea for two, and toasting bagels for the other in order to be able to make our breakfast quickly saving time and effort. Someone commented last week that we were like an old married couple the way we moved about the small space intuitively without bumping into each other.

Later I was called into the conference room and was surprised with a wonderful take out lunch hosted by the members of other departments on our floor. I was truly touched by their kindness and thoughtfulness. I almost began to cry when I was presented with a card, flowers and chocolate at the end of lunch. Heck I’m choked up right now!

At the end of the day, when people started stopping over to give me hugs, say good bye and wish us all luck at our new location I couldn’t help but begin to cry silently. Of all the environments I’ve ever worked in, this group of people have been the most incredibly supportive group of people I’ve ever worked with.

I think a lot of the difference has to do with the fact that they’re all World Trade Center survivors. We have all lived our life the same way, intensely appreciating life in the moment. These people cared about me and supported me the entire time I was amongst them. I’m going to miss Maury’s daily visits to tell me a joke or too. I’m going to miss my weekly dance practice sessions in the copy room with Nori, and how Ray & I would break into song if we heard a snippet of a lyric in anyone’s conversation.

Ironically I was a bit reserved from the beginning. It's wasn't easy losing all my close friends in the 9/11 attack. And it hasn't been easy making new friends either. That's in addition to me being a very reserved person in my professional life. But these people wouldn't accept that. I was brought into their world and they made great efforts to make me a part of it whether I wanted to or not. For the first time at my firm I felt that I was truly an essential part of a team, even though I wasn’t in their department.

Lot’s more happened today, including the death of a cat I've cat-sit regularly for more than 12 years, but I’m just too emotional and worn out physically from the move to write about it. I think I'll just go to my bed, have a good cry and maybe tomorrow if I feel better I'll write some more.