Thoughts on Goodbye

I composed a farewell letter this morning to a dear friend heading off for a summer internship and it's gotten me thinking on loss and goodbyes a great deal. We, of course, signed ourselves up for a healthy dose of these farewells by coming to graduate school again. Because school always ends. For most people anyway. And I feel I'm paying dearly the price of saying goodbye. There is such an interesting dichotomy in friendship when you let yourself love. The heart swells with the inclusion of another that you care for, but then feels emaciated in the letting go. More full by the experience of letting another soul in, but emptied at the loss of their more immediate presence in your life. The emotion, however, must be a sign of a job well done. A trophy of vulnerability and sacrifice...high calling for any relationship.

 But the crushing emotion also stands as a reminder of our world in it's fallen state and, strangely, that has been a comfort to me as well. This is not the way it should be. Separation, farewell, loss...these words were introduced with the Serpent himself. Heaven will not contain them. Oh for the glory of future hope. My heart swells at the thought of never saying goodbye again.

And so with these thoughts, deeper than most I've shared here recently, ahem, since January?!?!? (That was not intentional, I promise), but with these thoughts I'm glad to be back in this space. And, Tori friend, you are missed.