I think I understand now. 

The twenty or so of you, all weird and quirky and figuring out your own lives; all with your own sadness and tragedies; it was my privilege to work with you. 

Thank you for telling me your stories and hearing mine; thank you for coming over and asking me if I'm alright; thank you for buying me lunch when I was too tired or busy to step out. Thank you for coming together beautifully when we had emergency cases; thank you for being cheerful even during IV training. Thank you for making my days brighter, and meaningful. 

Thank you for teaching me so many things. That everyone is figuring things out as they go, as I am. That I protect my own fiercely, teeth bared, to the detriment of, well, other things. 

Thank you for sending me off with a salute. 

Y'all taught me I have a lot of love. I will bring this with me to my next posting. I've learned to be stricter, fiercer, scarier, but I have also learned that I have more love to give than I knew. 

Thank you very, very much.