Goodbyes -

Goodbyes.
One of the hardest things we ever do.
I've had my share, they seem to pile up in my heart,
never losing their sting or their potential
to fill my body with heart-rending inward sobs.
They stay and never leave.
Each one seemingly harder than the last.
I've seen family weep through them.
I've held sobbing friends in my arms,
and wept along with them,
I've missed the last "chance", and said them
when all is said and done,
there ...
at the grassy green and crumbly dirt,
when everything seems to be so wrong,
and life is shredded down to 25 kinds of pain,
pain you never knew existed.
Not until you had to say -
"Goodbye".
And the only smile that shines through,
is knowing it's only -
"Goodbye ... for now".

To some of the dearest friends to me -
on a day they realized they would have to say goodbye,
earlier than they ever wanted, 2 years ago -
.... I love you.

~ Jean Marie ~
Psalm 103