Turning in My Resignation After Seventeen Years

Today I did something I have come close to doing before, but have never actually one. \ I finally turned in my resignation from the company I have worked for for seventeen years.

Seventeen years is a long time. It is a significant portion of a life.

My boss’s response was completely transactional. One sentence. Sorry to see you go, here is your checklist of things you need to do now. I sent an email to the team, I'll send a better one later. That was it. Before he even sent that message to me, he sent an email to the team announcing my departure. I was not copied on it.

Within twenty-five minutes of submitting my resignation, people started coming out of the woodwork. Oh my gosh, you’re leaving? I just heard. Are you really going? And I was sitting there thinking, apparently this is how I find out what was said.

After a bit, I worked up the courage to ask him if he could send me the email he sent to the team. I explained that I did not know who had received it, and there were people I wanted to say goodbye to before they left for Christmas break.

He replied with one word. Done.

When I opened the email, I understood exactly why I had not been included. It read something like this: Kristian is leaving to work for another company. So-and-so will be taking over her programs. Please pass this along to anyone else who needs to know. There was a scattering of other teammates copied.

That was it.

That was seventeen years of my career summarized in a few sentences. I have only reported to him for about four of those years, but still. It stung. There was no dignity in it. No acknowledgment of the time, the growth, or the work.

I knew he had promised a better email later, but what was the rush of sending this email? Why did my team need to know a mere 20 minutes after I handed in my resignation. Why did my team know before I even knew there was a 3 line email.

He comes from a military background, so maybe emotions are not his thing. Maybe this is just how he operates. That realization oddly made me less sad about closing this chapter and moving on. There is a saying that you leave managers, not jobs. I have tried to convince myself that is only partially true.

But today, it felt pretty accurate.

And yet, here I am. Closing a door that held nearly my entire adult life. Stepping into something new. Letting go of the need for validation from someone who was never going to give it anyway.

Yes, he eventually sent a better email - probably generated by AI in less than 5 minutes, but at least it was something.

This is another reminder of why I believe in intentionally marking seasons. Luxury photography for women is about honoring transitions, even the quiet ones. The endings that do not come with applause still deserve to be remembered. Portraits become proof that you were here, that your story mattered, even when the goodbye felt abrupt.

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Life is messy and loud and beautiful, and so are you. At Kristian Hutchings Portraits, I’ve built an experience that takes you out of the everyday and into a space where you’re pampered, posed, and celebrated. From professional hair and makeup to portraits you’ll treasure for a lifetime, this is more than photos, it’s a chance to finally put yourself first.

Kristian is a mom of six, Program Manager by day, active Professional Photographer by trade, and a big believer in finding beauty in the everyday chaos.

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Life in our house is loud, messy and full of literally everything. Love, noise, laundry, laughter, and definitely could use a bit more grace. I'm happily married to my best friend, grounded in my Catholic faith, and fueled by five to six hours of sleep per night and adrenaline.

I try to find joy in the everyday, even when it's wild, because without the little bit of joy, this life would be unbearable. This space is for the moms in the middle of it all, the ones juggling family, faith, work, and wonder. The ones that need someone else's messy life to make their own seem better or somewhat normal. You're not alone, and you're doing better than you think.

Welcome to Six Sweet Smiles, where we celebrate the mess, the miracles, and everything in between.