I vividly remember my health teacher standing in the front of the class as she said, “Repeat after me. D-A-B-D-A. DAB-DA. DABDA.”

“D-A-B-D-A. DAB-DA. DABDA,” the class repeated. She continued, “D is for denial. A is for anger. B is for bargaining. D is for depression. A is for acceptance. And these are the five stages of grief.”

Fast forward five years later to this moment. I'm saying goodbye to my high school friends. I'm experiencing these five stages of grief.

Loss produces grief. We know that. Having friends going away to college is a loss. We know that. Therefore by the transitive property (@ geometry), having friends go away to college produces grief.

This past week has consisted of some very painful goodbyes. I know this upcoming week will consist of the very same thing.

Saying goodbye sucks. If you're like me, here’s what you'll likely experience:

Denial

I look at the calendar, and I know it’s time. People are starting to leave. My Instagram is filling up with goodbye posts. Parents are posting pictures on Facebook of their child in his or her new dorm room.

But I'm not ready. I'm not prepared. I can't have my friends leave. Not yet, anyway.

It’s not possible that eighteen years have passed. It’s not possible that summer is already over. None of this is possible. It’s. Not. Possible.

Anger

I should have spent more time with them. Now they are leaving, and I have no one to blame but myself.

Actually, wait a second. It’s their fault. Why did they have to pick a college so far away?

They're going to go away to a new school in a new location where there will be new opportunities and new people. So, they're going to make new friends. Will they text me to see how I'm doing? Will they even remember me when they come back? Or will these "new people" replace me?

Bargaining

Ok, honestly I’m embarrassed by the amount of times I’ve texted “come w me pls” in the last week. If my friends come with me, then we don’t ever have to say goodbye. And as of right now, I have about 15 boxes and a few suitcases, so there's plenty of room. Perfect.

In all seriousness, I’d do anything to turn back the clocks. Someone does that for Daylight Savings, so I’m sure I can figure it out. Please, just please let them stay a little bit longer.

Hold up. If I don’t let go of them, they can’t leave, right? Longest hug ever???

Depression

Picture this: I just spent my last night out with my friends. We walk to our cars. And...it's time for the dreaded goodbye. We hug - for a really long time. No one wants to let go.

I think to myself, “It’s fine, I’m fine.” But, it's really not fine and I'm really not fine. I'm not an overly emotional person, but I can't hold back the tears. Hug: end; Waterfall: begin.

I drive home barely able to see the road through my tear-filled eyes.

I get home, and things feel different already. They’re gone. I'm alone. This town is boring. There is nothing to do here. But these friends filled a boring town with happiness, laughter, and love. And now they’re gone and on their way to fill a different town with that very same happiness, laughter, and love that I miss already.

Acceptance

At first the depression stage seems never ending, but then something changes...

They post a photo of their new college town. They send a snapchat of their cute, fashionable dorm room. They’re happy. I’m happy.

Although I miss my friends so much and I know that next year won’t be the same, I am so incredibly proud of them. They were put in this world to accomplish great things. It’s time for them to do that. It's time to let go. It’s time for a new beginning - for them and for me.

“It’s fine, I’m fine” - for real this time.

Saying goodbye is hard. It sucks. It really sucks.

But luckily some of my friends will be attending the same school as me. And, when the friends who I had to say goodbye to said “See you Thanksgiving” rather than “Goodbye,” I knew everything was going to be just fine. These two things made the five stages of grief (or the five stages of saying goodbye to friends) a little bit easier.

When you say goodbye, hug your friends tight, but do let go for now is the time for you and for them to go out in the world and experience new things.

And remember, in just a few short months, you'll be together again - this time greeting each other with a "hello" rather than leaving each other with a "goodbye."