Hard To Say Goodbye

This is the response I made to a post on Facebook today and decided to blog it to keep it. The post was of a daughter saying goodbye to her mother, knowing it was going to be the last time she would see her alive.

It made me think of the many times I have said goodbye to my mother - when I moved to Michigan from Illinois, then, when I lived in Michigan and she was finally able to visit us (after an absence of nine years) due to her moving to California with my sister and her family. Her financial circumstances would not permit a visit before this time and of course, with a family, it was not feasible for me to go there. However, after that visit I vowed that there would never be that much time between our visits again, and happily I can say, there never was.

There were other goodbyes, though, when I lived in California and she had moved to Oregon with my sister. During one of those visits, it tuned out to be the last one, when she died six months later.

The Facebook post made me think of a time when I was at the Ontario airport (do not remember the occasion, if we were seeing someone arriving or leaving) and a young girl, probably in her late teens or very early twenties, was saying goodbye to her mother. As her mother boarded the plane, she broke into a hard cry, so I walked over and put my arm around her and pulled her into my shoulder and let her sob. After a few minutes, she thanked me and said " it is so hard." I remember saying to her " I have been there many times and fully understand what you are feeling." She hugged me, thanked me again and walked away. I often think of her - that was some twenty years ago now - and wonder if she is still saying goodbye to her mother. Her mother would be in her sixties now. I was glad that I was there for her.

It is a good feeling when we are able to be of comfort to someone and I hope I never miss the opportunities God puts in my path. I am grateful for the many times I have been able to step out of the norm and be there for someone at just the right time. I urge you to look around and be ready to experience your moment like this.