I will never forget the day God steered me toward The Franklin County Times. I answered an old ad, but it must have been divine intervention because it turned out Jason Cannon had just been named publisher and needed a new reporter.

I remember my first day. Basically, I walked in at 8 a.m. and Jason showed me my desk and told me to write the news. So I did. I sat down like I knew what I was doing and wrote the news for almost four years.

With the exception of my recent maternity leave, you have allowed me into your lives every week for four years.

I’ll be honest. I was sad to hear the news last week, and the few people I told afterwards couldn’t believe it. I shed only a few tears before realizing a door was not closing. An opportunity was opening.

Yes. My time as a reporter for the FCT has come to an end.

In that time, I have experienced much professionally and personally. I have shared it all with you over the years.

I thank you for being there for me the last four years. Without our readers, none of us would have a job. So I thank you for allowing me to come into your lives even though it was for a brief while.

I am making plans to start the next chapter in my life professionally, and I am very excited about it. Honestly.

When I first started here, a fellow journalist told me I would have to move on at some point because I cannot stay at the FCT forever.

While I didn’t want to believe it at the time, now I know it is true.

While the paper has grown over the last few years, so have I. I have grown and matured as a journalist, and I have so much I want to accomplish before my journey of life ends. Even though I have accomplished a lot at the paper, I cannot see all of my dreams come true here. I just cannot.

So when I learned last week that cuts had to be made, I just accepted it like it was supposed to happen this way because I would probably have never left otherwise.

When I love something, I have a hard time letting go of it. But, I also know that you have let things go in order to grow yourself, and I accept that fully.

I hope I am not easily forgotten. I like to think I made a small mark on this community. Whether I did or didn’t is really irrelevant at this point because my time here is done.

I gave this paper 120 percent, and it gave me education and experience that cannot be learned in a classroom.

As I make my exit, I’d like to say thanks to Jason Cannon for hiring me four years ago, and the community who embraced me. Without you, I don’t know where I would be right now.

Now doors have been closed and others are opening for me. God is giving me the strength to walk through them as I begin this new and exciting chapter.