Last week, a cherished colleague at my “day job” completed her tour of duty and prepared for retirement. Jane had been with the company for some time, and her knowledge of the organization and her outstanding sense of humor made her a favorite among the staff.
While special lunches, cakes, and drinks after work are fine ways to honor a favorite colleague, I feel deeply that people should have tangible remembrances of their time at a workplace. As Jane was leaving a week or so before Valentine’s, I thought it would be fun to offer up Valentine’s Day cards as sentimental keepsakes upon her departure. After all, don’t we all have cherished memories of childhood Valentine’s day parties at school—where kids would stuff cute cards in a hand-made box? And so I dashed off to my local Hallmark store to see what I could rustle up for our going away affair. I managed to find some nifty little cards, stickers and colored markers to send Jane on her way with fond memories, cheerful thoughts, and good wishes for the future. Jane much appreciated her “love notes.” So many times employers think about watches, or gift certificates or some other object to commemorate a job well done, but isn’t it most important that people know that they are appreciated and love by others?