Yesterday was the day. The day of the Club Penguin shut down. Expected for weeks, possibly even months, it still was a rough day at our house. Our almost 15 year old daughter has had her account for nearly 10 years, and our 8 year old son has had his for nearly half of his life. Because of their age difference, it was one of the few things they two of them still do together.

It was also the day that I let go a well loved member of the Kildal Services team.

 My son took the Club Penguin shut down the hardest.

As I was talking to him, I mentioned that he didn’t really play it all that often any more; he replied that it was the first game he’d ever played and “what got him into video games.”

When I brought up that he’d had weeks, months even, to prepare for this day, he told me: “I know, but TODAY is the day that it happens. It’s not any easier because I knew.”

I couldn’t help but think about the parallels the Club Penguin shut down had to my situation. The person I let go got me “into” aspects of my business I wouldn’t have without that relationship. I’ve known for weeks, even months, that the working relationship was nearing it’s end.

After we’d recorded his last session before Club Penguin shut down forever at midnight, and grabbed some screen shots of my daughter’s house, I reminded them both that now we’ll always have those memories.

After the kids went to bed, I started thinking about how hard it is to let things and people we care about go; how each time we do, the choices we make about how to handle it and how we carry that hurt become pieces of the people we are.

This morning, I made a list of the valuable lessons I learned from that team member – both about my business and about myself – so that I can keep those memories, too.