"Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience" - Victoria Holt
There's never a completely fulfilling way to end something. No words that make a conclusion easier. No sounds, sights, smells, or acts that can lessen the mess of its outcome. Whether to a friend that is moving away, a significant other that you no longer mesh with, or a family member that is passing away; it is never easy to say goodbye.
At least once in our life, we will experience having to let go of someone. Perhaps it's a short term loss - where you take a break from outside contact to work on yourself. Maybe it's more long term - you have no way of telling how long you or the other person(s) will be out of contact so you simply leave it at "see you whenever." Either way, neither situation is easy. Finding the right words to say to conclude a relationship that's been with you for ages can be heart-breaking. This is not to say that concluding a shorter relationship is not just as painful - it just eludes to separate terminology.
One thing that everyone seems to forget about goodbyes is that while they are generally used to end something, they also lead to the beginning of something new. There are times where it is necessary to leave a situation or relationship. More often than not, these types of situations are negative and have an upsetting effect on an individual. Due to this, it is healthy to "say goodbye" and move onto a situation that makes them happier.
At times, these situations are difficult to notice on your own. Having support helps to assess the condition of the situation. Once the negative situation is over and dealt with, you start anew. Learning from the past experiences such as moments that ended with a "goodbye" helps to grow as a person. One can decipher what occurred that ultimately led to having to say goodbye in the end.
Still, saying goodbye is difficult. This is especially true when it appears that there's nothing to learn from it. When losing a family member, a friend, an acquaintance to something more than distance - recovery can be difficult. This is especially true when never given the chance to say goodbye to them. When granted the "gift" of a last exchange of words, one can get things they "never got to say" out of the way. Regardless, it is not uncommon to feel slighted by whatever time was given as even in cases where one "gets to say goodbye", they can still never truly feel that whatever was said was enough to clear the air.
In any such a case, saying goodbye is and can be deeply unfulfilling. In the long run, no matter how one says goodbye, it's okay to not feel okay with the conclusion. It comes down to what you do with what you're left with, that really matters.
