Goodbye is a word people use all of the time, but what does it mean? One definition of goodbye is a parting. Another definition is a taking of leave. The origin of goodbye is an alteration of God be with you. There are many situations where we would use the word goodbye. One situation would be when someone suddenly leaves us. Some examples of this are when someone ends a friendship or relationship with us or when someone leaves this Earth. Another situation would be when we leave others. An example of this is when we end a friendship or relationship with someone else. These are both ways we would use goodbye in a physical separation. There is also a mental way to say goodbye. Some examples of this would be when we don’t get a verbal goodbye with a physical separation so we don’t mentally let the relationship go. Or when we hold on to feelings and emotions too long that they start to physically impact us.

Goodbyes are necessary in life. The key is accepting and being OK with this concept, and moving forward and growing even when it is not easy for us. Sometimes we outgrow a relationship or it becomes unhealthy. We will eventually have to say goodbye to our loved ones when they leave the Earth because none of us lives forever. This does not make it any easier, but acceptance is the first step in being able to push through it. Accepting that the relationship, as we knew it, is over; or that we are holding on to memories, feeling or emotions that are weighing us down. We need to take time to grieve the person, relationship or dream and release the pain. The pain will come and go, but we need to make sure we let the thoughts and feelings enter and leave our minds and bodies freely. When we hang on to them, intentionally or unintentionally, we block the natural flow and hinder our physical health. It is OK to be sad one minute and happy the next. There is no right or wrong when it comes to our thoughts. Being able to find an outlet to help the feelings move through us is important too. These could include exercise, journaling, or some kind of artistic expression. Whether we choose to leave, others leave us or we choose to let go; we need to love ourselves enough to know that we will be OK, know that our time together was divinely timed and trust in the goodness of the future. Focusing on the things around us that still make us happy and feel good will help us slowly move in that direction.