Out of office... or the icing on the cake

Have had my last day in the office, ahead of formal retirement from my university post at the end of August. I will have been here exactly ten years, following fifteen years at my previous university and before that 20 years in local authority social work; 45 years in total of continuous salaried and pensioned employment. Time for a change, but my initial enthusiasm when I made the decision last summer has lately been invaded by decidedly mixed feelings - regret at projects not seen through and opportunities missed, sadness at the loss of many good colleagues (and the discovery that perhaps I was valued more than I knew). One day recently I was feeling particularly down, when a colleague left my office after a meeting saying "I'll be back in a moment" and returned with this creation. To call it a cake would be far too prosaic, and I have no particular urge to cut or eat it. I was just blown away by the gesture, and by the care, generosity and planning that went into commissioning this gift (and bringing it to work in a large box on the train). 

Later the same day I was taken out to eat and drink by another group of colleagues, who at the meal had a round of saying nice things about me. Morale was duly restored, and I face the future with the confidence on display here, in cake icing.