Whatever will be will be.

I’m back at the Herald, in a permanent position. I’ve had to sort of let it sink in for that past couple of weeks to be able to express how I really feel about it. I had a ‘que sera, sera’ attitude while I was going through the process of applying, and interviewing for the job. I don’t think it was so much that I wasn’t sure I could do it, as I wasn’t sure if I should.

After losing my job there a couple years ago I heard a lot about doors closing and windows opening. I never believed for a moment that my new open window would allow me to return to the place I considered my second home.

Yes, this means a lot to me.

I am sappy and sentimental - I know these things about myself. I reflect and analyze far too much. But here’s the thing; the Herald is to me what Tara was to Scarlett O’Hara, Kansas to Dorothy. The Herald is home to me.

I know that I would have been okay if they hadn’t chosen me for this new position. I might have felt a little slighted, but I have learned that life is about changes and choices and that there is always something a person can do. I trust that the right windows and doors open and then it is up to me to choose which ones to go through.

I’m so lucky to have been given the chance to choose the Herald again. It is hard work and stressful, but that is what drives me. That is what I love.

The old Herald building may be gone, and many of my favorite people have moved on or retired, but they are still with me. And always will be.

The women who worked tirelessly in the Advertising department were the women who molded my career life. They made me see, through their own diligence and success, what was possible for me. I hope to be that woman for someone new who might be searching, as I was, for hope.

Now I have a challenging road ahead of me, as I have a lot to learn. I know I can do it.  I am thinking of all the people who have been with me through the past couple of years while I struggled to find my way – people who supported me with encouragement while I went to college and searched for jobs. I am so thankful I had to go through that. It was a huge growth opportunity for me. I never thought I would feel this way about being a part of the layoffs at the Tri-City Herald. I can see now that it was good for me after all.