Throughout life, you will have to say goodbye.
Some goodbyes are easy, like saying so long to a cold or a bad experience. Some goodbyes are really hard to do. Saying goodbye to a loved one, a beloved pet, a great experience — those are the partings that are the hardest to endure.
In the last month and a half, I was lucky enough to be a part of the adventure of putting on the musical "Footloose" at Century High School. It was many hours of sweat and tears and late nights for all of us. The cast became like family.
I met people that I hadn't really interacted with before, and we became buddies, and there were people who I've worked with for years, and seniors who would be leaving. Like family, we joked around between rehearsals. We supported each other when something had gone well or poorly.
We didn't really get sick of each other — which is good when you're working together for long hours. Saying goodbye to this new family was really hard for me. And yes, some tears were shed.
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But a good friend of mine, a fellow performer and writer, pointed out something I'll never forget: This isn't goodbye.
At first, I wasn't quite sure what that meant — partly because it was very early in the morning — and I questioned it. I didn't understand how it couldn't be goodbye when the adventure was over.
It took me a few days, but I finally understood: The experience ends, or the loved one passes on, but the party's not over, and the person won't be gone forever. They live on in us.
In my case, the musical may be over and not everyone will be back next year for the next adventure, but that's OK. We will see them again. We will always have had this adventure together. They will always be part of who we are.
Still, after this bonding experience, it is hard to say goodbye.
It doesn't matter whether the family that you miss is blood-related, is somebody you've known forever, or is somebody you got close to in a few days. They'll always be a part of who you are and who you will become.
Those are the people you share memories with and who you will always remember and cherish. Whether they remain with us or not, they will be seen again and they will always be in your heart.
