Endings can be good too

Seven years ago I started CU Newswire writing mainly about Canadian credit unions and their issues.

I am a strong believer in credit unions rather than banks and co-operatives in general.

Each year I put out 48 issues with anywhere from 25-40 stories per issue. Some were short, 50 words, a few went over 300 words.

This was a labour of love. Yes, I made money, but not a lot. It wasn't the goal.

For a time I worked with a wonderful managing editor. He helped improve the technology, but then he wanted to go on to something else rather than expand.

Bless him.

When I told Rick, he was all set to comfort me, offer to help write, anything needed. Instead I took it as an omen that it was time for me to move on too.

I was ready to spend less time on making sure I didn't miss a related story, keeping up with the admin, and trying to make the newsletter the best it could be.

Thus I finished out the year and today, a few minutes ago I sent the last issue.

In a way it's an ending.

But then again now I can spend more time with my fiction, more time with Rick, more time reading, more time walking, more time cooking.

My daughter used to say, "My mother retired? Hah!!!!!!"

Now she can drop the "Hah!!!!!"

It is an ending, but it is also a beginning.