Sunday, April 1, 2012

The LONG Au Revoir

First, I must thank my friends for not turning me in to the Suicide Prevention Hotline people.  Since December, I have been giving away, selling and donating my earthly possessions at a rapid pace.

Second, I must thank my friends for listening to an endless stream of potential outcomes of my life.  We leave for Paris in an hour and I still don't know where I'm living in a month.  You all know me, I'm a planner.  I make Excel spreadsheets of what to pack to go on vacation.  I like lists.  I plan for everything (but somehow find myself in Costa Rica for two weeks without a thermometer when my kid spikes a huge fever, go figure).

Third, I thank you all for saying goodbye to me for the last three months.  I have had many wonderful lunches, dinners, playdates, Facebook chats, emails and phone calls from you all.  It has made this process so much easier.

I started to feel guilty before Zumba classes.  I'd swing over to class and somebody would invariably ask, "When are you leaving?"  I kept having to answer, "Not quite yet."  It felt funny to have the date set, but to be a few weeks off.  January was the longest month of my life.  February was the second longest.  March flew by in about three hours.

My point here ("Finally," they cry...) is that getting to do this whole goodbye thing slowly has been a real blessing.  I have had the chance to meet with lots of people invidividually, get my hugs, share my stories and catch up on your lives.  It has made every one of them less tearful and more joyful than I'd anticipated.  My advice to anyone in a similar situation is to take a few months to make any major change--if you have the luxury.

Or disappear overnight so you can avoid it all, right?  Nah, I'd not trade my long goodbyes for anything.  Except maybe a job for my husband.  But more on that soon, I hope.

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