steve jobs and me.

this week, steve jobs, CEO of Apple, announced that he was taking a leave of absence from his job to focus on his health.  he left his announcement specifically vague, not detailing the exact reasons for his leave, nor when and if he would return.  he simply said that he loved the company so much and hoped he would return soon.

and, as it turns out, i am finding myself in a similar situation.

i don’t own a huge computer company and make millions.

i don’t have nor am recovering from pancreatic cancer.

i am nowhere near as famous or powerful as steve jobs.

but, nevertheless, this week, i have left a job that i respect and love very much to focus on my health.

a public forum such as this one is certainly no place to go into details of such matters, for obvious reasons; however, this does not mean the subject is taboo.  i am most certainly willing and able to discuss the complexity of the situation in a manner that involves actual human contact.  i am not a pariah; i am not suffering away on some deathbed; i did not leave my job in a blaze of burning bridges.  suffice it to say, i developed some health issues over the last few months that became more problematic and alarming (not terminal, or life-threatening, so as to not freak anyone out) enough that it became clear that there was something wrong that was getting worse despite many attempts at a remedy.  in order to figure out what that is, i had to step away from teaching, hopefully temporarily.

i do not know when i will return.

i do not know if i will return.

i do not know what’s next.

i do know that this was an incredibly difficult decision made as easy as it could be by my sainted husband, my family, the staff at my school and my wonderful colleagues who i miss already.

i do know that i am taking a mandatory vacation for the next several weeks.

i do know that i’ve joined an online book club, and eaten much chocolate in the last few days.

i do know the one who is in charge of my life, and trust him implicitly.

i am hopeful.

for me.

and steve jobs.