Today was a day that will be in my memories for many years to come...

Today was a momentous occasion for me and my little family.  My husband of 15 years stepped away from a job that he worked for 18 years today.  That place was a sore in his poor side for so many years, the source of so much anger, anxiety, sadness, disappointment and dismay. 
I asked him two days ago if it was okay for Nae and I to be there on his last day, responded with a very quick and appreciative, Yes.  All day long I was excited for him, relieved for him.  I couldn't stop counting down the hours until he was free of the horrible place.  It had become so horrible in the last two months for him, when the powers that be used him and an other associate against a manager in the store to get her fired.  A manager that he adored and would do anything for anyone in the store. 
It was making him ill, to be around that kind of backhanding and negativity.  He his such a great husband and father, he never brought any of this stuff home.  He would only vent if I asked, he'd talk about it on his way on the phone and be done with it by the time he walked through the door.
So, when Nae and I got to him at the store today,  I was so surprised to see him anxious.  I couldn't figure out what it was that was getting to him.  As he left the HR office with his paperwork in hand, he started to say farewell to his tried and true friends.  They hugged him, shook his hand. As we walked away from them they stood and clapped for him, I had to run to catch up to him and Nae.
He walked quickly to his last dear friend at the front of the store, hugged her good bye.  He was in tears.  I was beside myself.  For such a horrible place to treat my love so badly most of the time, he was shedding tears for his loss here,  the wonderful people that had become family through it all. The ones that understood the mistreatment the most, because, like him, they had gone through some degree of it too.
This is how humanity survives in such a hostile environment, through love.  Compassion for the guy/gal next to you that has to endure the same BS you do.  There is a serious camaraderie that forms in the ranks of those hellholes.
He was not sad to leave the politics and backstabbing.  But was heartbroken hearted at all of the wonderful people that he was leaving behind.  We promised to visit, and I know we will. They are family after all.