Draft: Instructions

Instructions For Saying Goodbye

It is an uneasy feeling to leave the friends you worked so hard to form relationships with and the place lovingly known as home. It is important to cry. Not only tears due to heartache, but tears from the fear of stepping into the unknown. Acknowledge the facts. You may never see these people again. Leave the dog fur on your clothes. Walk the familiar routes and breathe the air you have acquainted yourself with. Take a drive and park in the spot with the peculiar divot. Purchase a coffee from the café that knows your order. Stroll through the grocery store that smells like steamed carrots and mackerel. Throw a party. Retrieve the camera from the back of the storage closet. Enjoy the silence. Realize that goodbyes are transitions. Transitions cultivate growth.