Good-Bye Is Not the End but Just the Beginning

Gold Brush Stroke

Here’s my Five Minute Friday thoughts on Good-Bye, prompted by The Gypsy Mama. Writing freely is difficult for me, but I am working on it. So although I still went over five minutes (closer to ten), I rethought and edited much less and was freer with my words. It’s a beginning! Enjoy the ramblings of a mama being stretched.

GO

good-bye - a season for everything

The march of time is relentless. Ushering in new every day.

I struggle with giving up the old.

Pry my hands open; force me to let go.

Where have the diapers, runny noses, and knee scrapes gone?

How about wrestling in the leaves, splashing in the creek, cuddling on the couch?

I still want wet sloppy kisses and hugs so tight they linger after arms unwrap.

But one day blends into the next.

I can’t hold them back. And I hear the whisper. The next season… and the next … they hold a similar promise, one of cherished moments, not the same but precious nonetheless.

And my hold loosens.

So many difficult transitions in life: Saying good-bye to my oldest, heading off to begin his own adventure. Staring at streaks of gray and tracing wrinkles. Tucking away favorite toys and children’s books.

But I’m beginning to see, it’s not an end, but a beginning.

There is a kaleidoscope of possibilities out there. As one day moves into the next, so one treasure turns into another.

There is a kaleidoscope of possibilities out there. As one day moves into the next, so one treasure turns into another. Share on X

Those sweet gifts of old may recycle and repeat in more little ones to nurture. But if not, there are other gems to grab hold of. God made sure of that.beach crab

No, each good-bye is not an end, but just a beginning to another grand adventure.

For with every Good-Bye there is a Hello. And for Christians, good-bye is never final! 

Each good-bye is not an end, but just a beginning to another grand adventure: with every Good-Bye there is a Hello. And for Christians, good-bye is never final! Share on X

STOP

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Reflections: Are you finding the hellos in your good-byes?  Have you struggled with letting go as I have? What did you find that helped?

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By His Grace,

Julie

10 Comments

  1. jancoxabetterway on April 13, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    Great post on the word Goodbye. Signing in from The Gypsy Mama. I like how you look ahead from the goodbye. As time marches forward, cherish each and every moment – as a gift from God.
    Blessings,
    Jan

    • juliesunne on April 13, 2012 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks, Jan, for your kind words. Yes, cherish I will as I am discovering God’s gifts continue to rain, the drops just look different. Blessings to you, my friend.

  2. Nita on April 13, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    Great job! “…one treasure turns into another.” Such a good word picture. We do cherish the moments we have and look forward to the hellos that will follow the goodbyes. 🙂 Quilted blessings, Nita

    • juliesunne on April 13, 2012 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you for the encouragement, Nita. Blessings to you as well.

  3. Shari~Rain into Rainbows on April 13, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    Oh, my…. my daughter is a sophomore & I’m already dreading the day. The time passes oh so quickly, doesn’t it?

    • juliesunne on April 13, 2012 at 11:14 pm

      When I brought my oldest home as a newborn, it seemed like it’d be forever before he’d be grown up. Forever is now. Yikes! My theory is that the passage of time correlates directly with a parent’s age. The older we are, the faster time passes. Enjoy your precious daughter, Shari, and look for the hellos in the goodbye to come. Blessings.

  4. Colline on April 14, 2012 at 6:57 am

    We may say goodbye to one phase of our children’s lives but, if we allow ourselves to be receptive, we will enjoy the next stage of their development. I, too, miss my children’s younger years but do admit I am enjoying their new sense of self as they begin to explore their world with different eyes.

    • juliesunne on April 14, 2012 at 7:42 am

      I agree, Colline. The actual goodbye of distance when my son goes off to college will be the most difficult stage for me to adjust to. But I know there are wonderful aspects of having grown children as well. Noticing the gifts in all seasons is the trick. This is sometimes difficult for us moms since our lives are entwined so tightly with our children’s for many years. Have a blessed weekend.

  5. Julie on April 15, 2012 at 10:49 am

    It enjoyed visiting your site and your Five Minute Friday post was a reminder of the blessings even in different life transitions. Thanks!

    • juliesunne on April 15, 2012 at 12:23 pm

      Thanks for your visit, Julie. We need to be constantly looking for the gifts. Blessings.

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Julie Sunne

Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.

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