It all started with a simple hello. You didn’t know it at the time, but that hello was the opening curtain of your love story—a story that would play out too fast, the goodbye of the closing curtain coming too soon.
The whole story seemed compressed into just five words: Hello. I love you. Goodbye.
You cry. You smile. Cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. The story of your life—your love story—wouldn’t have unfolded so beautifully if that special person hadn’t stepped in to help write it and be your co-star in it.
As painful as the goodbye is, there was so much good between the hello and the goodbye that you wouldn’t trade the life you had together for the world.
Goodbyes are tough because they leave behind a trail of unspoken words and unfinished business. You wish that you had said so much more between the hello and the goodbye—said thank you, and I appreciate you, and you mean the world to me more often. Still, “I love you” was the theme song, and it was enough.
There were happy times and sad times. “Through good and through bad,” you promised. “In sickness and in health,” you pledged. “Until death do us part,” you vowed. And you honored every word of it.
You fought life’s battles together. Won some. Lost some. But always had each other’s back. From hello to goodbye you soldiered on, shoulder to shoulder. And you are certain that your soldier was the best that ever put on a uniform.
How blessed you are to have had someone that makes saying goodbye so hard—a special person who lived a life that is worthy of your grief.
Goodbye is the word you sidestepped as long as you could. You knew it had to come someday, but avoided talking about it, or even thinking about it. The calendar was running out of pages. You knew that, but didn’t think it was yet December. Then the day came when you couldn’t dodge it any longer, and had to whisper to yourself, “I guess this is the part where we say goodbye.”
But this goodbye isn’t forever. It’s more like Albert Brumley’s song, I’ll Meet You in the Morning. Or “See ya later.” The hello lasted a long time. The goodbye is just for a little while.
Every day of missing your special love has a bright side to it, because even though it is one day further from the last time you saw each other, it is one day closer to the next time you will.
You cry because of the loss, but hold in grateful remembrance a string of beautiful memories.
Robert Raines said it well …
As we separate and the ties unbind and the threads of our lives disentangle, let us believe in our hearts that nothing we have shared together that is good will be lost, that all we were takes its honored place in our life’s journey … that much we cannot communicate nonetheless endures, that nothing can separate us from our love.
The Good Book says it best …
I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live again (Jno. 11:25).
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22).
According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3-4).
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore (Rev. 21:4).