is this tacky? I was just laid off from a company after 20 years.

I was “retiretold” 4 days after they made a big deal (cake/lunch in the kitchen) of me completing my 25th year with the company. My role was “eliminated” and I’m 61 years old. Now 4 departments have taken on the work I did. Then my former boss had the audacity to send flowers to my home with a card that said “Enjoy your retirement”. Speaks volumes about the company and the culture it’s damaged that was once second to none. The emotional toll was almost unbearable and I’m thankful for the support of my hubby, family and peers that knew the real story behind their actions. You can’t take it personal or it will flatten you - move on and enjoy your seat on the karma train. Good things happen to good people and vice versa.

I'm sorry you're going through this. Regardless of the reason someone is leaving a company, their departure leaves a gap whether they represent a place in the company's history, have a dynamic personality, have institutional knowledge people can't imagine doing without, or helped create the culture that exists today. Once someone leaves, the culture is simply different and people often feel nostalgic for a time when the business was starting out, more creative, ideas were flowing and the future was exciting.

I've attended many "Goodbye" dinners and lunches over my career and have realized that while it's a time to reminisce and tell someone how much they're respected and will be missed, it also helps the team who is staying come to grips with the change, and we all know how difficult change is. The people who were asked to let you go may not have wanted to make the decision, the peers you have know your role isn't simply automated and they're likely thinking, "What else is going to change?"

Despite this, the Owner shouldn't have placed their disappointment, or whatever it was, on you. (In my experience, when someone says they're "disappointed" it's actually frustration that they're feeling and don't know how to resolve, so they inflict negativity on the person causing it to try and make themselves feel better.) Let that stuff go if you did what you needed to do for yourself and feel good about it.

This is all so fresh, but I hope you're able to make your final weeks as positive as possible, leave on good terms. remember what you loved about your last 20 years, and most importantly, focus on what you want most out of life so your next steps can be finding your new adventure!