As the school year wraps up, it is easy to get caught up in the emotions of having to part from people that you have been living and doing life with for the past eight months. We are overcome with bittersweet feelings that consist of excitement for the journey back home, and sadness for the home away from home that is being left behind for a while. Here are some quotes and sayings that can help us get through the goodbyes that we are being faced with as the academic school year comes to an end.

1. "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

If you think about it, having difficulty saying goodbye to a close friend really just reminds us of how amazing it is to have someone in our life that we do not want to part with. Life is full of ups and downs as well as partings and reunions. As Dr. Seuss would say, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened!"

2. "Good friends never say goodbye. They simply say 'see you soon.'"

Goodbye is not often truly goodbye, but rather a permanent saying for a temporary absence. Each day that passes between meetings is also another day closer to when you will meet again. It's all about perspective and remaining positive.

3. "Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love."

Being away from our close friends is a wonderful opportunity for growing the friendship and can actually help increase the meaning and enjoyment for the next opportunity of spending time together.

4. "A memory lasts forever. Never does it die... True friends stay together and never say goodbye."

One of the best parts about having to separate from someone is that even though they are not physically there, they are there in spirit and in memory, so you never truly have to part from one another.

5. "Sometimes you just have to hold your head up high, try not to cry, and say goodbye."

Obviously, saying goodbye is a tough task to tackle; however, staying strong through all of it is the key to a positive outcome.

6. "It takes a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye."

One of the beautiful aspects of friendship is how strong of a bond is formed from such a simple beginning, even if the ending becomes complicated. Sometimes goodbyes are for a short amount of time, and sometimes goodbyes are forever. It is important to realize that for every goodbye, there is also a hello waiting around the corner.

7. "Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them but you know they're always there."

Another significantly spectacular aspect of friendship is technology. In other words, our friends do not need to be with us to be there for us. And that is a beautiful thing.

8. "As we go on, we remember all the times we spent together and as our lives change come whatever, we will still be friends forever."

Something that we get accustomed to being passive about is the "forever" part of "best friends forever" in that we forget to dwell on the permanence of most of our tight-knit friendships. We get caught up in the job offers and all the opportunities that we let ourselves get overwhelmed when saying goodbye, but it is important to remember that the people in our lives that are truly meant to stick around will in fact be there for the long haul.

So whether it is a temporary goodbye or a goodbye with an indefinite return of hello, always remember to build and maintain bridges of friendship. It is not goodbye, it is I'll see you later.