Hello, Goodbye

I hate goodbyes. There is no easy way to say goodbye to someone when you know you aren't going to see him again for quite some time. I've had to say way too many these past few days and it has been so hard. It made me wonder how people can make choices which force them to say goodbye frequently. Where could the good in that possibly lie? Then I remembered I made such a decision last April. At the time I didn't cosider how difficult it would be to say goodbye to all my friends and family in August with the assurance that I would see them again over Thanksgiving. But as I got closer to August 12, I began to realize what my choice of school really meant. If I really wanted to, I could have backed out. We would have lost my $200 housing deposit and I would have to figure out how to get into a school closer to home and gone through the college decision process all over again, but I could have done it. Yet I didn't. Why Not? Because at one point in time, goodbyes weren't a factor. Because way back in April I wasn't worried about what I was leaving behind but instead I looked forward to what was coming. And I knew it would be great. Having to say goodbye and leave things behind does not diminish the wonderful things in store for me this year. So maybe its not really about saying goodbye. Instead, I am saying hello. Hello to some amazing experiences and fun times. Hello to new friendships and great memories. Besides, I will see all the people I had to say goodbye to in just a few short months. I love hellos.