What is one of the hardest words in any language?
Goodbye.
Whether it is a goodbye for a short time or a long time, it is always hard. A friend says goodbye till tomorrow, and yet hesitates to go out the door. A husband leaves on a buisness trip for two weeks, but calls every night and hates the need for this goodbye. Again: a sibling leaves on a trip with some friends, but writes letters home and cries over the phone; the goodbye paining her heart and leaving her chest aching.
Maybe we fear the goodbye as it may last forever? Even leaving only a day may turn into forever with a sudden twist. But —ah— I am no philosopher, so how should I know? I merely muse on this burdensome goodbye as I have taken leave of my family for a few weeks and struggle with the goodbye myself.
As for coping methods when the goodbye is extended to a few weeks, the most obvious is calling home via telephone or cell phone. However, if the time away is long enough, my favorite method is writing snail mail. In a way, I find a physical letter more personal than an email or text. It seems almost as if you can put yourself into the letter more. As snail mail is …well …snail mail, incredibly slow, I find the perfect way to use this as a coping method is to combine it with others. My personal way of handling a goodbye is this: text a couple times a day to give an update, call in the evening, and write snail mail.
Do you find goodbyes painfully hard?
What is your coping method for a goodbye?