This was the subject line of an E-mail that I sent out recently to my colleagues at work. It is because, that morning I had made the choice to take a job at another university. It was not a hard choice to make. The compensation would enable me to better support my family and it would help me to grow professionally in ways that I wasn't able to in my current position. The offer was the answer to months of prayers and searches. It was a very easy choice to make. It was also a very bittersweet choice. I'll be leaving some of the best people I've met here. And that saddens me.
I think that there are lots of bittersweet choices that we make. They are the choices that improve our situation but move us away from things we enjoy or love. They do not eliminate opportunities but they do limit them. There have been four times when my wife and I have been separated from each other for extended periods of time:
When I got a new job while she was expecting our oldest child.
When our second child was born and spent three months in a NICU.
When my wife was dealing with some acute medical difficulties.
When she got a job close to our parents while I was still working away from them.
Each of those times saw us apart for six weeks or more. I would drive up to visit on the weekends, but otherwise we could only communicate via technology. All of those choices were easy to make. All of them were necessary to make. The alternative would have been worse for everyone. And all of them were bittersweet.
"Bittersweet" is an informative expression. The choice is pleasant and inciting but with undertones of sadness. From the sense of taste alone, bittersweet flavors tend to be richer or more complex, leading to a more robust sensory experience. I think the same is true of bittersweet choices, they lead to richer and more robust experiences. I am thankful for bittersweet choices because they help me look forward to something new and help me to appreciate what I have.
I think that there are lots of bittersweet choices that we make. They are the choices that improve our situation but move us away from things we enjoy or love. They do not eliminate opportunities but they do limit them. There have been four times when my wife and I have been separated from each other for extended periods of time:
When I got a new job while she was expecting our oldest child.
When our second child was born and spent three months in a NICU.
When my wife was dealing with some acute medical difficulties.
When she got a job close to our parents while I was still working away from them.
Each of those times saw us apart for six weeks or more. I would drive up to visit on the weekends, but otherwise we could only communicate via technology. All of those choices were easy to make. All of them were necessary to make. The alternative would have been worse for everyone. And all of them were bittersweet.
"Bittersweet" is an informative expression. The choice is pleasant and inciting but with undertones of sadness. From the sense of taste alone, bittersweet flavors tend to be richer or more complex, leading to a more robust sensory experience. I think the same is true of bittersweet choices, they lead to richer and more robust experiences. I am thankful for bittersweet choices because they help me look forward to something new and help me to appreciate what I have.
