I recently announced a major life change: stepping down from a Fortune 50 C-Suite position and leaving the only company I’ve worked for since finishing graduate school 24 years ago.

This has been a tough and emotional decision for me. As much as I’m excited for the next chapter of my career, it also means leaving an organization I’ve grown up in composed of people I care deeply about, have learned from, and don’t want to let down.

So, it’s been an unexpected but oh-so-welcome surprise to get hundreds of messages of support, encouragement, and celebration from near and far. Some of these have been private messages, others public comments on company blogs or my LinkedIn post.

Some messages were from people I know quite well. Others were from those that I only met in passing. Still more were from people I was sure had forgotten all about me! I’ve marveled at the reminders of collaborations throughout the years and have been touched by the heartfelt sentiments expressed. What’s struck me most is what an indelible mark these people have had on me – and how I am forever changed by each and every relationship.

It’s oddly felt a little like being present to hear my own eulogy. (This is a true blessing – and I hope everyone gets an opportunity to experience this level of appreciation.)

I’m fortunate to have a wonderful home life – and this is something I treasure. My supportive and loving husband encourages me to pursue my passions. My children bring me so much joy and truly don’t care if I’m the C-I-O or just their M-O-M. My extended family and my close friends are cheering me on.

But I must admit I didn’t fully recognize the pull of my work relationships – which are really much more than professional contacts. Over the many years of working together, executing projects, managing crises, driving innovation, leading teams, helping clients, delivering products, balancing budgets, and solving problems, we have built enduring bonds.

Healthy relationships at work are powerful. They improve job satisfaction, employee engagement, team performance, and staff retention. When built on trust, respect, and authenticity, work relationships enrich our lives and help us thrive. They make us want to get up in the morning and get back into the fray. They provide a shoulder to cry on, a helpful ear to listen when we need to vent. They are a colleague to confide in, a mentor to guide, a partner to assist. Research described in this 2022 Harvard Business Review article found that “motivation at work is largely impacted by our feelings of connection to others.” That’s certainly been my experience.

But, of course, it’s not just a work thing. Feeling connected is a basic human need that has a significant impact on our mental and physical health. A recent study found personal connections are the most important factor in long-term health and happiness. A review of 148 different studies found that people – across all different ages, genders, and initial health status – with strong social relationships have a 50% higher likelihood of survival.

In response to positive social interaction, the brain releases oxytocin, the so-called “feel good” hormone that induces anti-stress effects like reduced blood pressure and faster healing. And these social interactions don’t need to be in person; virtual engagements and even social media interactions have also been found to release oxytocin.

Our social network tends to be bigger than we think. We readily identify our close contacts, but research shows that we shouldn’t overlook our many weak ties, which actually have the greatest impact on job mobility. Social media has enabled low-friction connections with many; I’ve enjoyed staying in touch with my professional network through LinkedIn and extended family through Facebook.

And the world is actually smaller than it seems. The Six Degrees of Separation concept – first introduced way back in 1929 – suggests that all people on the planet are six or fewer social connections away from one other. With eight billion people in the world, this may seem hard to believe, but various research (including a 2008 study of electronic messages) has shown that it’s likely not far off.

(This was popularized by the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, which tries to link any actor to Kevin Bacon in six or fewer connections. As an example, Lisa Kudrow has a Bacon Number of 3: she appeared in Clockwatchers with Parker Posey who was in You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks who was in Apollo 13 with Kevin Bacon.)

When I joined IBM in 1999, the company had over 300,000 employees. I remember being daunted by the vast size. It was bigger than some countries! But 24 years later, I can honestly say that the community feels small and interconnected and there are few IBMers that I don’t have just one or two degrees of separation from.

So, for me, I’ll try to think of this step not as “leaving” but rather as “graduating” – moving on to an exciting new phase of my career while expanding my network. It’s a conversation I’ve had with my son, who graduated high school last month and is finding the prospect of going off to college bittersweet. The point I’ve impressed on him (and myself) is that moving on doesn’t have to mean losing connections; rather, it’s an opportunity to add more meaningful relationships to an already-strong network.