Until we meet again...

I feel like the last few months have been filled with farewells. It is a strange thing, this saying "goodbye." In some ways, I will never be separated from these people - friends and family who share my heart and know my soul. Neither time nor space can tear apart the bonds of love and care. And yet, geographically, we will spend the next year on separate continents, living in entirely different contexts. We will not see each other for longer than we desire. And soon, even internet and mail will be less available than I am used to.

So, it seems appropriate to say "goodbye," even though my deepest hope is that we shall meet again in a year or so. Many of these farewells have been tinged with sadness - how I wish that the paths and stories of this year of our lives would not be so distant from one another. I am reminded of a scene from Tom Brown's book, Grandfather. Grandfather, a native North American tracker, has spent a period of time living and learning alongside Parrot, a South American mystic. When he feels called by the Spirit to move on, Grandfather slips away in the night without saying goodbye, knowing that he and Parrot will meet again. And, though he chooses not to say farewell, both Grandfather and Parrot are saddened by the departure. Mostly, this is how I feel. I know I will see again those I love, and yet, it is hard to be parted from them for so long. My journey is moving in a new (and exciting direction), but some days, I wish for more familiar faces along its path.

Yet another line comes to mind as I contemplate these farewells. It is from The Ramayana and has stuck with me since I read it almost a year ago. I think it was a farewell blessing offered by a king when his son was leaving, but it may have simply been an opening quote. I will leave you with this line...

Return to me when I remember you.