Goodbye - an open letter

Dear L’Oréal

I am sitting here, gathering my thoughts, trying to find words to express what goes on inside me. I remember a song from ABBA that says:

“Here’s to us, one more toast and then we’ll pay the bill

Deep inside, both of us can feel the autumn chill.

Birds of passage, you and me, we fly instinctively.

When the summer’s over and the dark clouds hide sun

Neither you nor I’m to blame, when all is said and done.”

I still remember well when we first met on my university campus. I was completely taken by your outgoing personality and decided then and there that I wanted to be with you. So we met and it was all butterflies and enthusiasm. With you I was able to express who I am and be what I wanted to be and an incredible journey together started, that led us to amazing places like Mexico, Paris, Düsseldorf, Brussels and Tokyo.

But as it happens in relationships, with time, we drifted apart, talked less and assumed more. Passion turned into habit and what was easy once became more and more complicated. Over the past years I started to realize that maybe we were not meant to be together forever. At first I didn’t want to admit it and did as if everything was normal. But little by little I realized that I was becoming someone I wasn’t meant to be, just to continue to have your support and trust. But a recent workshop on values made me see that my own values were not in sync anymore with yours and it dawned to me that we changed. You’re four times bigger than when we met, more complex and in need of structure, rigor and processes and even if I understand this change, I realized that it didn’t fit with my drive for entrepreneurship and liberty. As I talked to you about it I understood that you’re vision of me was different than the one I have and that there was no apparent future together anymore.

At the beginning I was angry, then disappointed and sad, but finally I made my peace and decided to leave. So here I am now at these final moments together, calm and in gratitude for all the things we did. 21 years and 6 months are a huge part of my life and I will always have a good memory of it. I’m not bitter, but excited about the prospect of a free and bright future, even if I admit a bit scared as no path is traced as clear as it was in the past. But we will be fine and the prospect of becoming me again fills me with pride and energy. I am what I am today because of you and I hope you’ll keep a bit of me with you as well.

A famous quote says “the only time a goodbye is painful is when you know you’ll never say hello again.” There’s no pain on my side, just gratefulness and pride for the time spent together. I still love you and always will.

Thanks for all, farewell and all the best!