So Long, Farewell

It is official. I am no longer a partner in Aussenberg Waggoner LLP. Tears, grief, sorrow, more tears. The desk, credenza, file cabinet and bookcases have been removed from the office I adored and replaced with someone else and something else. I leave behind not just beautiful furniture, artwork and every detail that was selected with pride and joy; I leave behind something else. Even the word maestro cannot describe it.

So it goes with life lessons. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. One door closes, another opens.

Patti, Chris, Brett, Jennifer, Dana and Jill - I wish you and your families the best. I hope you will carry on the values that were always so important to me - Look diligently for solutions without creating new problems or making the existing ones worse. Make every case and every client your most important one.

Next, I bid farewell to Team Dream. When the days were dark and no one knew where to turn or what to do, it was an uplifting idea, and a wonderful way to keep up my spirits. Almost $25,000.00 has been raised, which astounds me. You have given generously and from your heart. There is no way to tell you what that means to me. I have spoken with the director of the National Lung Cancer Partnership, which is the organization with which Team Dream is associated. I have been assured that your donations will be used wisely, in exactly the way they were intended. If you would still like to contribute to Team Dream in my honor, the opportunity will remain available until the end of July. No pressure. You have already been wonderful. John donated the first $100.00 and on July 31, John will contribute the last $100.00. There will always be opportunities to contribute to this woefully underfunded cause. The Addarios, the Gaetas, NLCP, these are just some of the organizations that are actively fundraising, educating, and more. I intend to participate in local events aimed at raising funds for lung cancer research and I hope you will join me. As for the paddling adventure, I am looking into ways to make it an annual event. It may have a different format, but it will still be a blast.

And, finally, I am bidding farewell to my beloved blog. It has been the single most important factor in seeing me through the past year. I counted on it more than you will ever know. But it is time to move on, to turn my energies elsewhere. I reserve the right to come back to the blog if I need to, but I am stable for now, and have different needs. I'd love to hear from you as I close this chapter; Burton may also be willing to explain how to become a blog follower, so that if I do post anything in the future that you will automatically receive notification by email. I may also use the www.lotsahelpinghands.com website that was used to schedule meals for my family. I can send out email blasts from there, and you can also post comments, so if you have not signed up you may want to consider doing so now.

Houston, we're at stable one. The ship is secure. This is Apollo 13 signing off.

Love to all.