iolanda andrade: Christmas spirit at the working place

I have never really participated in any Christmas event at the working place and the fact that this year I seem to have been not in just one but several goes to say that I am either getting more open to this sort of gatherings or put aside some of the transpiring feelings throughout the year that are in no way in accordance with the so called "Christmas spirit".

I have been the "photographer" on duty and have therefore not eaten much, though I must confess that everything I tasted was rather delicious. There's no doubt some of our colleagues are excellent at "sweetening" our tooth ...

What mostly touched me though was the getting together with former colleagues, who are now retired, whom I miss and above all loved to work with, as well as the gathering of resident, non-resident trainers, trainees, administrative staff, former colleagues and colleagues to be.

I may be getting old(er) ... but in spite of the overall convivial atmosphere, what surfaced was the feeling that "some time ago" ... (in what feels like such a long time ago) things were very (very) different ... and despite the years I haven't "overcome" that loss yet ...