𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝

I had a Patio Pondering prepared for today, but after a couple of phone calls, that one will sit on the sidelines for now.

Instead, as I enjoyed my coffee this morning and gazed across our blooming landscape, I found myself thinking about what I miss most from the changes that took place nine months ago today.

Today marks the nine-month anniversary of my position being eliminated. In those months, I’ve reflected on leadership, work, life, and growth. I started a podcast. I’ve expanded my listening and speaking skills with the help of generous experts on social media. I’ve tried to be a better person.

But there’s one thing I still really miss: the daily conversations with colleagues—the “work family” that isn’t quite a family, but operates a lot like one.

I’m not talking about the nuts and bolts of the job: project deadlines, customer calls, or sales targets. I miss the social conversations that threaded through those discussions like stitching in a quilt.

Today, 273 days later, I find myself wondering…

What new concerts or attractions are lined up for the 2025 county fair, the one a former teammate always helped organize?

How’s the estate probate progressing for another colleague—did they find the right partner to farm the ground while it's in transition?

Did the allergy testing bring answers for their little boy?

I wonder if there are any new additions to the duck blind on the backwaters of the Des Moines River.

How did the new pups work out in the field?

What pheasant hunts are planned for this fall?

How are the babies growing—the ones who were brand-new when I left? Did the perennials take hold in that newly landscaped yard, blooming just in time for spring?

Your work family isn’t really your family. But it turns out, I miss those family-like check-ins and the everyday camaraderie more than I ever expected.

How do we fill those holes in our post-work lives?

Those interactions added a richness to our days—a depth that came not from the tasks, but from the human experience shared around them. We need those moments, those conversations, to stay grounded. To stay human.

They help us grow.

They help us be better.

And maybe, just maybe, they help us keep our balance and find a little more zen along the way.