A Natural Part of Life

I just said goodbye to one of my co-workers who is leaving the company. We've worked together for nearly two years and I'm probably closer to him than anybody else I work with. He was the one I could go to when I was new and learning the ropes. Even now, he was always there when I needed help with something or just wanted to chat. We goofed off together when we didn't feel like working and he even drove Hubby and I to our hotel on our wedding night in the limo he owns. But saying goodbye to him was just like saying goodbye for the day or the weekend. It didn't really hit that this could be the last time I see him.

As I thought about that I thought about all the other goodbyes I've said that were probably goodbye forever. Teachers that had an impact on my life, friends I left when I moved away, high school friends that we promised always to keep in touch with and then drift apart, co-workers, friends from my time in Cleveland, etc.

The thing that really hit me was that for every person I've had to say goodbye to there has been someone else to whom I've said hello. I've heard it said that losing is a part of life, but so is gaining. You gain things from the lost friendship: awareness of self, fond memories, new ideas and better understanding. And you also gain new friends and acquaintances. I believe people are in our lives for a reason. The time always differs. Some people for a few minutes, some for a day, a week, a year, many years. But there's always a purpose and things to be learned. Bring it on!