Saying goodbye to someone you love may one of the hardest, if not THE hardest, things you may ever have to do. Yes, there is FaceTime and texting and phone calls and all of that, but just the thought of the distance between you and the human you adore is enough to break your heart.
Sitting in the passenger side in your car as we drive the thousand miles half-way across the country, we unknowingly witness the sky fade from bright blue to dark black. We talk, we laugh, we reminisce, music plays, we sing, and I adhere to your request: “No country music.”
I know that this is not a forever goodbye; of course there are holidays and trips for me to comes see you, but I think we can all agree that it’s just not the same. I’m used to having you here… Home. But now you’re creating your own home; one that just happens to be a thousand miles away.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s selfish for me to want you to stay here. Now, that doesn’t mean that it’s wrong for me to want you to. It just means that your goals and ambitions and dreams trump me wanting you to stay. I want you to succeed and follow what your heart wants – no matter where it takes you. That’s one of those things that’s easier said than done, but it’s true.
I’ll miss you more than you’ll know. I’m so used to hearing you trudge up the stairs, your phone calls about lunch dates when you were off from work, the stories we shared around the dinner table. And now I won’t have those things anymore. For the longest time, it was my normal – if there is such a thing. But now I will have to develop a new normal which will take a long time, but it's not impossible.
Your journey is just beginning. And even though you’ve had to wait, for what may have seemed like forever, your dreams are finally being pursued. And for that, I admire you. Your strength and courage gives me hope every day that I’ll be able to do the same thing soon… Because you’re doing it. I have big shoes to fill, but you give me hope that maybe, just maybe, I can do it, too.
I look forward to hearing all about your life; how you’re succeeding, what gigs you’re playing, what friends you’re making, if your day sucked at work, if your Netflix is down. And I’ll tell you all about mine and how life is back here, how our nephew is, how big he’s getting and how many teeth he has now, how my business is growing, what opportunities I have coming my way, what grade I got on my test, if my day at work sucked, and if my Netflix is down too.
Even though distance separates us physically, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, can ever separate us in spirit.
I love you, I’m proud of you, and I am working every day to gain the courage you have. Because if you can do it, then maybe I can do it, too.
