There are some words that make you feel jolly. "Rutabaga" is my personal smile-inducer. "Plump" is a good one too, as are "finagle" and "bevy." While we're on the topic, pretty much any word of Germanic origin gets me giggling like a loon.
Goodbye is different, though. It is not always sad, but at times I have to wonder if it comes with a certain unknowable finality. Looking back on this year and the times I've had in the newsroom with some great seniors, I can't help but feel a little blue. Who knows what lies after graduation? I certainly don't. That's why I decided that a sentimental shout-out was the right thing to do. My heartfelt goodbyes are in alphabetical order:
Goodbye Ashley McLean. Your wondrous giggles and silly songs have made my year fantastic. Thank you for your speedy edits as well as your hard-hitting contributions to the News section.
Goodbye Gio Gonzales. I will miss your supreme fashion sense, subtle humor and warm presence. Thank you for the story tips and the kind smiles.
Goodbye Liz Buckley. I will miss your goofy side and the way you rock the stretchy yoga pants. I will miss the way you look up from editing and ask silly questions like, "Do people know what NASA is?" I love the way your face lights up when its time for a coffee run, or when you get a cool lead on the latest serial creeper.
Goodbye Marissa Winkler. I can't thank you enough for being the creative half of this team. Thanks for sharing your talents and your laughs. Thanks for the coffee runs and the awkward moments and your crazy stories. I will miss it all.
Goodbye Peter Cho. I will miss your good-natured insults and those few precious musical Tuesdays. Your epic use of logic in everyday conversation makes me weep with joy. Thank you for calling me out on every fallacy. I mean it.
Goodbye Ray Ayala. I appreciate your pleasant conversations with me despite the constant frustrating trips to the printer. I think I will cry a little when they finally erase the sexy elephant from the whiteboard.
Goodbye Ryan Plourde. I will never forget the way you left me stranded in a parking lot late at night, or the endless conversations that you carried on without the "w" sound. Thanks for a fun semester, I "vish" you "vell."
Goodbyes may be hard, but they give us an opportunity to show appreciation for good friends and good times. I wish all the graduates a great summer and a beautiful future. Thank you all for sharing your talents with me.
