I graduated from the University of Maryland in 2016 and, just three days later, I relocated to Greenville, South Carolina, for a job. It was a scary transition moving away from everything and everyone I knew.
After moving, I felt like I had made a wrong decision in taking this job. I had moved to an area in which I knew absolutely no one and worked with people whom I soon felt like did not care about my wellbeing. At that time, I wasn't expecting much. I just wanted to get acclimated to the area. As I was getting acclimated, I soon meet a coworker who would become one of my best friends. It has been a year since meeting her and we have taken on Greenville together.
This year has been a trying year personally with family, work and everything in between. My mom gifted me a Giving Key at the beginning of 2017. Once I had received it, I told her that I was never going to give it away because I had loved it too much and that I would need to constant reminder of my word, STRENGTH.
The past week, the person who I met soon after moving down is now transitioning to another job in Pennsylvania. While I am very sad to see her go, I could not be more excited and proud of her. She, too, has had a trying year with work and things going on in her personal life. Today, I gifted her my Giving Key. Even though I said I would never give it away, I felt in my heart that it was the right thing to do and that she needed it more than I needed it. While she is scared of this transition, I wanted her to have that reminder that she is strong, courageous, bold and that she is going to be very successful at her new job.
I know that she is going to be clothed in strength and have a nice cup of coffee at her new job!
-Ryland
