Always Saying Good-Bye

When my daughter was a freshman in college, my husband and I attended Parents Weekend shortly after the semester began.  She stayed with us at the hotel during our visit.  Before heading home, we dropped her off at her dorm.  As she is the baby of our family, I thought I’d have the ‘empty nest’ syndrome when she left for college, but surprisingly I didn’t.  However, when I hugged her good-bye after our college visit, I was overwhelmed with sadness.  Just a few weeks earlier, we had vacationed in Germany with our son and his family where they were stationed.  I knew that, while my daughter would return home for summer break, it wouldn’t be long before she too would eventually leave our home town.  I realized then that this was how it was going to be…always saying goodbye to our children. 

That time arrived this past January when she moved with her daughter, my youngest grandchild, to Texas to be with her Air Force husband, too far away for me to get to by car.  You can imagine my joy when they relocated in May to Virginia, a more doable drive!

I was going to go to Virginia for my daughter's birthday, but decided it would be better for her to come home with our granddaughter who can fly free until she's two.  Monday I took them to the airport for their flight back to VA.  The sadness I felt years ago when I was leaving my daughter at college struck me again especially because her family won't be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  With my son in Kuwait, his family is going to his in-laws for Christmas.  I should mention a year after my marriage, my stepsons moved out of town with their mother.  Perhaps if I had at least one child and grandchild in town, I wouldn’t get so sad about these departures. 

Yesterday, I attended a funeral.  My cousin-in-law had to say good-bye to her last sibling.  To compound her grief, just two years ago, she had to bid farewell to her second child.  Her surviving child, who lives out of state, was unable to attend the funeral.  Today, I attended the funeral for a childhood friend’s father.  Her mother passed away a few years ago.  As sad as I am when I say good-bye to my children, I haven’t yet faced the type of good-bye that my cousin-in-law or my friend had this week.  My parents, siblings, and children are living.  I don’t know why God has spared me for so long, but I’m grateful.  I’m grateful that He not only knows what I can bear, but He knows WHEN I can bear whatever He allows to cross my path.  I know that through the faith He’s building in me and the love and help of family and friends, I will be able to bear every future good-bye.  The same faith He's given me is available to you.  And that gives me joy!