Adios.. Part II

From: Bharde, Madhumita 

Sent: Friday, January 19, 2024 4:34 PM 

To: Madhumita Bharde

Subject: Adios! 

About a month back, as I was strolling around Stanford campus & nearby, I bumped into this plaque:

I have been part of a few prominent institutions and visited some iconic places (I am sure we all have) and honestly, I never know how to verbalize the emotion to the tee. 

Reflecting back over 7+ years is not easy, especially if you are not good at delineating work & life. It’s a hodgepodge of overwhelming feelings.

There’s a sense of pride to get to be a tiny part of the legacy, a feeling of gratitude for collective experiences towards our missions and if I may say so, a bit of a regret for mistakes and missed opportunities. 

If professional life were to be a book, this chapter was pivotal for me. Sometimes a page-turner, at times perplexing but always insightful. 

If it were a TV show, the HPE episode defied genre; it had a bit of everything: adventure, drama, comedy and most importantly, feel-good. 

If imagined like a game, the level was something special. There were easy points collected & surprise treasures found but there was also digging deep & knocking on doors and going back to the square one to start all over again. 

I think you get the idea 😊 Whatever analogy you may want to use, I have come to realize: it’s not necessarily about what the protagonist accomplishes, but more about how the journey changes him/her. 

Thank you for it all: the gamut of experiences ranging from challenging to rewarding. I have learnt of a lot of invaluable lessons, at least in theory; and hopefully I will be able to put them in practice. 

I am so glad I took this turn in my path and looking forward to what’s around the next corner. Wish each of you all the very best for your own journey! 

~ Madhumita