The Beauty in Goodbye’s and Hellos

Saying goodbye can be beautiful in that it can mean a good end, a fond farewell, and a wish of a happy future for someone even if you’re not a part of it. I still cry at goodbyes in my life and in the movies, but it’s a good kind of cry.

Goodbyes can be hard though. When you don’t know what’s next, when you don’t expect it or when it has to be in the middle of something and it isn’t as positive of a break. There’s still learning and value often in those moments, but that doesn’t make them easier.

Saying hello is often exciting for me as an extrovert, its the chance to spend the energy I’ve been blessed with on someone else for the better, and be friendly, and sometimes even make a new friend. The chance to see what you can learn from someone and what you might come to share as friends. There’s so much potential in a hello – sometimes even a swing dance if you’re in the right place at the right time.

Saying hello can be hard if it’s a new, strange context, or if there is pressure to make a new connection, or if it feels awkward. But take heart, hello doesn’t have to mean a permanent friendship, speaking as a swing dancer, it might mean just one dance that you thank your dance partner for, and then you’re on your merry way knowing you got in more dance practice.

I had an even shorter term coworker at my temp job this week, and it was nice to meet her it was also a nice moment when we got to say goodbye, we chatted a little while getting our work done, and gave each other insight on different things we both had on our minds. It was nice to meet someone new at the job, and then to wish her luck with her pursuits as we said goodbye today.

I list the good first mostly because of my optimism. See the value in both and you’ll probably live a happier life.

I’ll end with the Hawaiian phrase, “Aloha” which is often used for “hello” and “goodbye”…even though that’s not the direct translation.