Closure

Pushing through the dead leaves: early blossoms at the Allan Gardens

The team I've been coaching gave their presentation this past week to a generous and friendly panel of senior public servants.

I attended the event so I could watch and maybe feel that pride I'd heard a coach from past years describe. Instead I felt they all should have spoken up a little louder. But they did fine.

I witnessed the moment when the five of them returned to their table, sat, and realized it was over. The months of struggle were behind them. They went back to having nothing immediately in common, relieved of the burden of figuring out how to work together. They said we should get together for a drink at some point.

I said sure, sign me up. I gathered my coat and left. I may not see any of them again, ever.

As For Me

There were reports in the media toward the end of last year that the Ford government would pay public servants to voluntarily leave their jobs. I thought that the offer was not for me. I'm four years away from retirement. The hit on my pension would be too hard.

Just to prove that was so, I got in touch with the pension board to get the low down on the numbers. Turns out the deal lets me pay into my pension for another eighteen months, so it still takes a bit of a hit, but not so much that the offer didn't all of a sudden become a lot more attractive.

So I signed up. I got my approval letter this past week. My last day as an employee of the province is December 31, 2019.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Easter!

Karen

New shirt for his birthday:
Ken at 89.