We've all been there, we've all had to watch a part of our family drive away, to chase their dreams, or maybe just try something new.

For me it was my brother on his way back to air force training.

As I watched his taillights fade, I thought of that quote so often stated,"Parting is such sweet sorrow." As this thought drifted through my mind I pushed it away, how could parting be such sweet sorrow?

My family is an extremely close one, my siblings mean the world to me. I love having all of them close to me, but through the years, distance has separated many of us. This particular brother had stopped to visit for a few days, and my world felt right again.

As he drove away, I feared my world would no longer be right. I felt a piece of my world was leaving me behind. I didn't want to think about how long it would be until I saw him again. However as I thought about where he was going, I realized something; he was not leaving us behind, but instead he was pursuing his dream.

To chase his dream, we had to become part of his past, for now. I know however, that we will be apart of his future, eventually.

But in order for him to pursue his dream at this given moment, we must be left behind.

Suddenly the old saying made sense. That is why parting IS such sweet sorrow. It is sweet sorrow because he is now chasing what he was always meant to chase. He is now doing what he was meant to do.

How could I wish to alter that?

How could I pray that his dreams be left undone?

I can't. That is why they say, if you love someone you must let them go. You must let them go in pursuit of what will give them happiness.

Family will always be the most important thing to me, but I cannot stand in anyones way simply because of fear.

Instead I must remind myself that God will watch over my brother, and bring him back to us; in the same way if you are missing people tonight, just remember, God will watch over them.

"It will all be alright in the end, if it is not alright; it is not the end."