When departing from someone or something… how do you say good bye? And what do you mean when you say … ‘good bye’? Does it mean – The End? Does it mean a parting for awhile? How do you feel when you say those two words? Relieved? Sad? Both? And how do you feel when you hear them? Our reaction to hearing or saying these words says a great deal about how we look at endings and at change. Once heard what do you do next? Walk away? Look around a bit baffled?
The context here is more of the long term separation ‘good bye’ then simply saying ‘ta’ because you’ll soon be seeing them. This good bye could be… forever, though you may still keep in some kind of contact with them. What are your feelings and thoughts and how do you say this ‘good bye’? I have found that many times I am a tad surprised because what I thought was only a short separation became a long term one. And I do find it difficult maintaining long distance relationships. It’s difficult keeping someone apprised of what’s happening in your life just as it is for the other person to keep you involved.
Regardless, saying the more permanent ‘good bye’ can be an emotional wrench once we accept the finality. It still may be the best (?) for all concerned even if we do have issues with the reality. Sometimes holding on when you know that ‘it’s over’ is far more difficult to handle once the ‘over’ is finally accepted. Regardless of the ‘type’ of good bye, there are emotional issues we have to confront as well as the other attendant issues such as intellectual – if they are the prime person you go to with your wonderings. However… it is our emotions that tend to be the most difficult to resolve.
IF we can view a ‘good bye’ as a new ‘Hello’ – then we have a new mindset that is definitely more proactive. And while it isn’t always easy to accomplish, once we have accepted the good bye we should be aware of the new hello’s that can emerge. It’s just like a ‘no’ may become a better ‘yes’ – it is all about our view, our attitude, and how we face and deal with those issues like good byes. A good bye can really be the beginning of a new adventure and that is not dismissing what has been. It’s simply accepting the whole of what was but venturing into a new what may be.
