Thank You and Goodbye

So leaving and having to say goodbye is never a pleasant experience for both those who are leaving and those staying behind.  At this point I would love to have said that my airport experience was a tear free zone but that would be a lie.

Having spent almost 12 hours the day before in a constant state of red-eyed blurriness  - with me in tears and those around me joining me at stages throughout the day– I thought that I had completely run out of tears but alas it was not to be.

I felt very loved when I arrived at the airport, as 4 different sets of friends and family came together to bid me farewell – its kind of funny that, as one person you affect and interact with a wide variety of people all with different personalities, backgrounds and relationships – they met here today briefly just to depart probably never to meet again.

I guess one lesson I have learnt so far on this adventure is that a lot of the time it is not about me as the person leaving – it is about all of those people I leave behind. (Just read how that sounds – don’t worry folks this is not a eulogy).

We are creatures created to be in relationships with others – we are a people that need people.  While I would have been happy to slip quietly away without a fuss, I soon realised that because we feel, live and exist in each others worlds we need to have the chance to say goodbye and have that sense of ‘closure’.  The leaving often becomes more about the people who remain behind – while I head out on this new scary but exciting ride, they remain at home to carry on with life, as it has always been. 

So in the end I get it, it is about everyone – those leaving and staying, getting a chance to express how much the other means to them.  And yes their will always be the flowing of tears.

You know, I have never really liked the word goodbye as it has always sounded kind of permanent – that’s it, it’s all over, the end – but as I discovered (via the computer dictionary), its origin is a contraction of the phrase ‘God be with you’.  (OK so some of you already knew that – it was news to me)

So to all those who helped me on this journey, who encouraged me, stuck close by, who stayed away, who allowed me to vent, asked questions, answered questions, offered their help, who did little things that meant the world to me and who supported me with time, space and money (thanks Mum) – to you all - thank you, I will miss you and God be with you!