“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – Winnie the Pooh
Indeed, how lucky are we all to have someone or something so special in our lives that it makes saying goodbye so hard. I’ve had to say goodbye to many people, places, chapters, dreams, hopes and once or twice to the person I was. So with all this practice you would think that saying goodbye would be easy for me, but it’s not. I don’t think it ever becomes easy for anyone. Sometimes it can be seen as a blessing because you get to have a fresh start. But I haven’t had any goodbyes that I’ve looked forward to or been happy about. I’ve only ever been responding to goodbyes as life pulled me away from those I love and places I wanted to be.
I remember my first goodbye was to my uncle who was my first best friend. We were moving away and I was devastated by having to say goodbye to him. This is my first memory of what it feels like to truly miss someone; I missed him everyday and I still do. Since then I’ve had to say goodbye to many more best friends. But in doing so I didn’t think that it would be forever because to me goodbye meant ‘sure you won’t be here, but nothing will change’ but I soon found out that to some of my friends it had a different meaning one of ‘out of sight out of mind’. This is where I learnt that goodbyes are treated differently by people and that they can change everything.
The word goodbye is in itself a beautiful term; so it ‘s not the word that is unpleasant, it’s everything else that comes with it. It’s the changes that come with some goodbyes that are hardest to bear. You don’t really ever know what will come after a goodbye and or if you will ever return to what was there before you said those words. This is what makes goodbyes so significant.
We say goodbye multiple times throughout the day but we don’t really pause and think about what it means on a daily basis. The only time that the true meaning of goodbye can be felt and appreciated is when were at the airport and when we know that we are being separated from our loved ones and or our home. It is in this moment that you realise the significance of the term goodbye. In this moment you think of all the things that you wish you had said and done, all the memories you wish you had created and all the times you have taken everything you love for granted. It is in this moment that you realise that you may never get the chance to see your loved ones again and or eat your favourite dish or attend your best friends wedding.
I’ve had my fair share of goodbyes and I am sure that I will have plenty more in my lifetime. The only thing that I can do to help make them more bearable is to make sure that I am grateful for whatever happens before I have to say goodbye. We don’t have to wait to be at an airport for us to appreciate our loved ones and or the things that are important to us. Take a moment to count your blessings and the things that you don’t want to say goodbye to; once you know who or what they are, make sure you appreciate every moment you have with them. Sure you might not have to say goodbye to it now, but at one stage or another we have to say goodbye to everything and everyone. Before that moment comes, make sure you say everything you need to say, do everything you need to do and share everything you need to share. That way when the time comes to say goodbye, it will be a GOODbye.
Love Always,
Miss Dreamer
Souloom™ 