It’s never easy saying goodbye. So, with that in mind, I will try to avoid using such a word.

As you may know by now, my time at Suffolk Publications has concluded and I am now packed up and ready to head for my next destination, this time at the newspaper in Selma, Ala.

During the past few days, I have been going through files (both computer and paper), cleaning up my workspace for those who will follow me. And, what I have come to realize is that it has been an extremely busy 14 months since I first began to call Suffolk home.

There were the news events, both positive and negative, that have provided the most visible timeline of my stay. Then, there were the changes here at the newspaper that may have been the most personal.

But, as I worked through cleaning my emails, notebooks and desk drawers, I have discovered it is the friendly faces, both in the office and in the community, that will provide me the most lasting memories of Suffolk.

It wasn’t the downtown fire last year I will remember, but the faces of those standing across the street watching the brave firefighters fight a blaze that easily could have consumed a good portion of downtown, including the News-Herald building.

It wasn’t the Relay for Life event itself I will remember, but the common sense of duty shared by thousands of area residents joining together to fight a deadly disease.

In a job such as this, it is important to remember we are not just journalists, but rather people who live and call this community home. This job is not just a way to earn a paycheck, but rather a calling to provide a valuable service to the readers and to the community we serve.

Throughout my career, I have had the luxury to call some beautiful and amazing places home. And although I may not have lived in Suffolk long enough to claim the title of Suffolkian, it is with a deep sense of pride that I did call Suffolk home.