Last Goodbyes

By Mack Grubbs
 
As we flew home from a family gathering in Washington we settled in for the flight and my family members were soon enjoying a nap. I plugged some music into my aviation headset and began to listen and let my mind drift. Much of country western music is about saying goodbye. I thought of the goodbyes we had just exchanged at the airport before heading for home. Since today was about goodbyes my mind began to focus on last goodbyes. I didn't realize at the time they were occurring that some of my goodbyes were last goodbyes. Saying goodbye to Karen Young, my high school girlfriend, when I left for the mission field was supposed to be "till we meet again" but it wasn't. Other goodbyes were the last time I visited my grandparents before their deaths. Then there was Bill McMahan who died unexpectedly. He and I had a prepaid hunting trip to take that would never be. I reflected on the last time I spoke with him, his laugh, and his mischievous smile.

Life can and does take unexpected turns. Some of those turns appear without any warning or signals. Each of the goodbyes I mentioned above were meant to be "till we meet again" goodbyes. I didn't realize that they were actually "till we meet beyond this life" goodbyes. On June 5th, 2000, I dropped by Karen Young Frady's home and defied the goodbye we shared some thirty-five years earlier. We had a pleasant visit on her front lawn. As I started to say goodbye once again, she said, "Don't say goodbye. Say, till we meet again." At her request, I uttered those words but I knew I was saying goodbye.

Sometimes goodbyes are okay but what I look forward to are the "hellos." The day I get to say hello to those I have had to say goodbye to is a day I look forward to. A favorite poem of mine suggests that when there are more people we are looking forward to saying hello to than there are people left here to say goodbye to, death will not be so painful, so dreaded. I'm not to that point yet but I sure miss those who have had such an impact on my life and are not around to hold, enjoy visiting with and express appreciation to. Maybe the key is to hold that special person, enjoy sharing time with him or her and express love and appreciation before that last goodbye occurs whether it is truly a last goodbye or just "till we meet again." You can make a difference in their life and yours.