Saying Goodbye

Saying good-bye can be bittersweet. Ending a relationship, moving away from loved ones or switching jobs are all situations in which the dreaded "good-bye" comes into play. After working for five years at the same agency I resigned. While it is exciting to look forward at all the possibilities that lie ahead, it is also sad to leave the co-workers I have been with for so many years.
This morning I began packing up some of my belongings. I felt like a college student packing their dorm room days before graduation. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation about the future and also a sadness for the friends that will be left behind. With the best of intentions we say our typical "I will miss you" or "Let's stay in touch" or my favoritie, "Let's do lunch soon". The reality is that as you move on, you often lose touch with the majority of the people that have been a part of your daily life.
I have been dreading the "good-bye" process. I would prefer to slip out quietly while everyone else is out to lunch. This afternoon a co-worker thanked me for something very minor that I had done for them. That is when it suddently occurred to me that while we say "good-bye" and will move on our separate ways, we never lose the experience we had in that relationship. I smiled to myself as I began taking messy finger painting off of my office walls, each lovingly created by a child. Each of those paintings are a story of a child who came to me for help. Each of those children had the couarage to do their work in my office and bravely say good-bye when their work was done.
Today I wasn't ready to take all of the paintings down. I need to finish my work where I am at. When my work is done I will bravely say good-bye, cherishing the wonderful experience I had.