What Does Goodbye Really Mean? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Relationships

What Does Goodbye Really Mean?

When I tell you goodbye, I mean more than just the words I'm saying.

6883
What Does Goodbye Really Mean?
Flickr

I'm not a person who has an easy time saying goodbye. That's okay. Goodbyes come in all kinds of ways. Sometimes, they are wanted, other times not. They carry happiness and excitement as well as heartbreak and anguish. Goodbyes sometimes leave you exposed to the elements, feeling nothing but numbness. Goodbyes have the power to change the course of our lives for better or for worse. But we still say goodbye.

We say goodbye to our loved ones in the morning when they leave for work. We say goodbye to our friends when we go home at the end of the semester. We say goodbye often. All the time in fact. We say goodbye to the strangers that we meet once, on a gloomy Monday morning on bus ride to work. We say goodbye to the barista who hands us our mid-morning cup of coffee at the local coffee shop in a routinely manner, almost automatically, after she hands us the antidote to our exhaustion. We say goodbye, but what we really mean is, I'll see you later. We say both goodbye and see you later in a synonymous way, but those two sayings have completely different meanings. "See you later" is light, has no deep meaning and is our way of saying that we don't want to say goodbye. Goodbye on the other hand, is profound. We say goodbye when we mean, God be with you and may your life be full of blessings; because we know that sometimes goodbye is permanent.

The thing about goodbyes is this: we never know if they will be permanent until we say "goodbye" to one who has already passed on. We assume that at the end of the day our families will make it home safely and we take it for granted when we are eating dinner under the same roof each night. We assume that when we say goodbye to someone who we have no intention of seeing again or to someone who, logically, we don't think we will see again because our lives are on opposite paths, that this goodbye will be the last words spoken. But how do we know that we are destined to remain apart? Fate has a funny way of intervening in ways we could never imagine. Sometimes we will again cross paths with the one we thought was gone from our lives forever. Why do we so desperately desire to say goodbye to the ones we love when they are dying? Why do we say goodbye when they have already passed into an eternal slumber? Because goodbyes are important to us in nature, for whatever reason. That reason is up to you to figure out.

The next time I tell you goodbye, please remember this. I am wishing you the best from the deepest part of myself, even if my conscious mind has other thoughts racing through it. Remember that when I say goodbye, I don't know what the future holds. When I say goodbye, in between the words spoken in our parting I have sent a message of love to you, no matter how long I have known you. Remember that I am sending a part of myself with you just because we met. That part may be small and may only consist of one interaction that will fade from your memory over time. That part also may be a bunch of memories that helped you to define who you are. When I tell you goodbye, please remember that I am sending my faith with you. I am asking God to watch over you.

Don't take "goodbye" for granted. One day, you will say goodbye to someone you love for the last time. You may expect it, or maybe you never saw what happened coming. But someday, we will all say goodbye to the ones we love and cherish for the last time.

So for now...

Goodbye.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

197069
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

18961
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

460967
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

28353
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments