The Ache of Farewell and the Joy of New Beginnings

July 4, 2026 - 21:59 | Last updated July 4, 2026 - 21:59

Follow Okaz channel on WhatsApp

Mona Al-Ghamdi @z63377

There are milestones in life that are not measured by years but by the impact they leave on the heart and the gratitude they instill in the soul. The moment of retirement is one of those milestones where feelings of joy for what has been achieved blend with nostalgia for what has passed, leaving words helpless before a journey that spanned nearly a quarter of a century in the field of education.

Those years were not merely a job I performed or working hours that passed, but rather a mission I lived with all the love, sincerity, and belief that education is about shaping people and building generations. Every day I entered the school carried a new opportunity to learn before teaching, and to give before expecting anything in return.

Throughout this journey, I realized that the greatest gift of education is not experience alone, nor the achievements recorded in files, but the human connections and sincere relationships that remain firmly in the heart no matter how many days pass. I was honored to work with students who left the most beautiful memories in me, colleagues with whom I shared responsibilities and dreams, administrative staff who were models of cooperation, principals who granted trust and support, and educational leaders from whose experiences I learned a lot. Each of them holds a special place, and every encounter left an imprint that time cannot erase.

I moved between four schools, each with its own story, but my last stop was the closest to my heart, until the school became a home that embraced my days and a family where I found affection, respect, and collaboration. There, I did not create memories alone but made them with faces I was used to seeing every morning, becoming part of life's details.

During my career, I was fortunate to have the trust of those I worked with, and I had the honor of undertaking several responsibilities I am proud of: I worked as an activity leader, talent coordinator, and supervisor of the morning broadcast, always believing that a person's value lies in the impact they leave, and that true responsibility is to make a difference no matter our position.

Today, as I bid farewell to this journey, I feel that I am not just leaving a workplace but saying goodbye to years of my life and memories made of beautiful moments, kind faces, and sincere prayers. I will leave the place, but I am certain that a part of me will remain in a classroom that witnessed a student's smile, in an activity that brought joy, in a word that instilled hope, and in an impact that I hope extends after my departure.

Retirement is not the end of the story, as some might think, but the beginning of a new chapter that offers more space for reflection, giving, and life. As for the mission we lived for, it does not retire because it remains present in every student, in every value we instilled, and in every beautiful memory we left behind.

In conclusion of this journey, I can only thank God for the blessing of education and the honor of belonging to this great mission. I extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation to everyone I worked with over the years: students, colleagues, administrative staff, principals, and educational leaders. Thank you for every kind word, every generous gesture, every hand extended in cooperation, and every sincere prayer that accompanied me on my path.

I leave today with a heart full of contentment and gratitude, believing that the most beautiful achievements are not those written in reports, but those that remain in hearts, and that the best thing a person carries with them at the end of every journey is the good impact, sincere love, and unceasing prayers.