I prefer see you later or until next time. Goodbye seems so final. Whether it was a friend, going to college or moving across the country, some of the most challenging moments in my life were when goodbye seemed too real. Those moments where I knew "see you later" may not be a possibility are the moments where I take stock of the relationships that matter.
In these moments, you can measure what people think of you and what you feel for them. Here, in the long goodbye, impact is felt, emotions run free and love is set loose. This raises an interesting question though: Why do we wait for this moment to let people know what we feel?
Why do we wait until confronted with the end to let people in? Wouldn't the relationships in our lives be vastly improved if we worked to fill each other up as we go, instead of waiting for the end? The answer is a resounding YES! Sadly, most of us are not equipped for goodbye. I doubt there is a class we could take, a book we could read or a film to be watched that could properly prepare us for the end. There is a change we can make today, though. From here on out, we can choose to let those that matter in. We can choose to let our love shine. We can show our appreciation. We can soften the blow of goodbye.
Thanks for entering my world,
-Nathan