If theres any consensus surrounding the act of saying goodbye, it’s that it’s not usually an easy thing to do.
Ive never been particularly good at it, but then again, who is?
We all suffer through goodbyes, after all.
Parting ways with someone or multiple people, be it for a definite or an indefinite amount of time, is a universal experience.
So, its actually pretty interesting to think about what goes into these goodbyes.
Theres no disputing that when we hug someone we’re close to and say goodbye to him or her, it’s difficult and often emotional.
That being said, I came to the conclusion that perhaps the hours and minutes leading up to the actual goodbye the ones comprising the final meetup are almost worse than the goodbye itself.
Whetherit’s the last meal you’ll have with a friend before he or she moves to a new city, the last time you grab a coffee with your brother before he moves out of state or the last movie night you have with your significant other before you start a new job somewhere far away, these meetups areespecially trying times.
Here are the things thatmake the lead-up hours and minutes arguably more difficult than the actual moment we say goodbye:
1. Everythingthat leads up to seeing him or her again.
Now, I know I just referred to these hours and minutes as lead-ups to goodbyes, but there are many difficult and emotionally exhausting things that lead up to these moments, too.
When we’re planning a final meet up with someone before parting ways with him or her, it’s necessary to, well, plan stuff.
Whether its making a reservation at a restaurant where youll share one more meal, confirming what time youll meet at a certain place or deciding what youll wear, the planning that goes into organizing those last meetups can be emotional and taxing.
As a side effect of said planning, we have the heartbreaking realization well soon be forming some final memories with people we care about.
A lot of emotions build up during that time, and they make you think about the goodbye that comes at the end of the get-together you’re planning.
2. Thereminders of him or her.
When we’re in the midst of one last get-together with someone before saying goodbye, its all too easy to be bombarded with internal reminders about how much fun we have with said person, and the fact we wont see him or her for awhile, if ever again.
We remember how much we enjoy this persons company, and its difficult to be reminded a goodbye is quickly approaching.
During thehours and minutes that lead up to a goodbye, these reminders eat away at us.
They’re the main reason goodbyes are so hard, and they make the time leading up to these goodbyes even more emotional.
3. Thevoice in the back of your mind you can’t seem to silence.
WhenI know Ill be saying goodbye to someone in a short matter of time, theres this little voice in the back of my mind I cant seem to silence.
Its the voice that says, This is the last meal Ill have with this person for an unforeseeable amount of time, This is the last time Ill laugh with this person for a long time, etc.
You’repainfully aware of the fact you only got together because you will soon beparting ways.
You have so much time to think while youre eating that last meal, drinking that last coffee or taking one last walk around the park.
The little voice that keeps telling you, you wont find yourself in this exact situation for quite some time is the reason why this part of goodbyes is the one I find most difficult.
Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg (and cheers to new beginnings).
Thanks to genius Gen-Y minds, there are multiple social media outlets we can use to keep in touch with our loved ones afterour emotional goodbyes.
That being said, theres a good chance the remedy for offsetting these goodbyes lies in being happy for ourselves and others as we part ways.
Hopefully, we’ll all go down paths that will ultimately serve us well.
To make goodbyes and the even more difficult lead-ups to them easier, we might just have to think about what follows: new beginnings.
Read more: http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/saying-goodbye/1240791/
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