Breaking Up is Hard to Do

I've never had to break up with anyone before.  Wouldn't want to, either.  I hear it sucks. 

Telling my boss that I'm leaving my job is something like breaking up (in my naive opinion).  I finally did it today, not because I lacked the courage, but because the opportunity just hasn't come.  I've managed to skirt around the issue long enough because things have been extremely busy.

Um, so how do you even start to tell someone that you'd like to break up?  Pretend like everything's hunky dory and then drop the bomb?  Extend flattery and then insert a big BUT...?  There is really no good segue.

I don't even remember how I managed to turn the conversation to bring up me leaving.  I think it was all the talk about summer plans that finally got to me, and I started...inserted with a lot of umms...to explain my decision to leave.  I was extremely nervous because I didn't know what would come out of my mouth.  Just please, oh please nothing stupid!  When I get nervous, I start to ramble.  And that rambling can often contain just a whole bunch of...nothing.

My boss was quite sad.  I think I either really shocked or disappointed him.  I wasn't quite sure how to read his expression.  He always has furrowed brows whenever he's thinking real hard, and on this occasion, his brows were raised in cautious expectation.  After I finished my awkward spiel, he noted that I do good work around here, and that he was sad to lose me. 

We actually had a good conversation following my bombshell announcement.  I relaxed and explained more of my decision, and he understood. I apologized, even though I wasn't sure why I was apologizing...probably because I just felt bad.

Gosh, breaking up is hard to do.