Goodbye vs. See You Later

For a while, I thought that a transition was a completely new start.  I could wipe my slate clean of all the distressful people I had met and the memories that made me shudder.  However, I do not have to forget about the people that actually helped me grow, and the memories that motivate me to be joyful and successful.

True maturity is knowing when to say “goodbye” and when to say “I’ll see you later.”  “Goodbye” is definite, while “I’ll see you later” provides an opportunity to reconnect.  When I had my exit interview for my job at the writing center, my boss told me to e-mail her with updates about how I am doing.  My professors all made sure I knew that I could still contact them if I needed support.  I found ways to stay in touch with my friends through Facebook or texting, making plans to see them in the near future.  However, there were some people that I did not want following me into this next season of my life, so I avoided them or gave them a definite, “Goodbye.”

Sure, that season of my life is over, and it will never be the same.  However, that does not mean friendships have to end.  I may never be an undergraduate student again, but that does not mean I will never see my friends again.  It only means that I will never see them like I did before.  Instead of seeing them in the cafeteria, in classes, and in my dorm, I’ll probably Skype with them, take them out to lunch, or go on a weekend trip to visit them.

As you are thinking about who to bring with you into the next season of your life, think about the direction in which your life is going.  If you know someone who can help you attain the career that you want, stay in contact with him. If someone has blessed with you wise counsel, encourage her by continuing to share the good events happening in your life. Always leave room for an opportunity to stay in contact.  A few years down the road, you may need those people.  As a matter of fact, they may even need you! When it’s time to say, “Goodbye,” you’ll know.  But when it’s time to say, “See you later,” make “later” a possibility.