Nonfiction

What Are We Really Saying Goodbye To?

Embracing Farewell as a Portal to Renewal

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I once stood in a hospital corridor, watching a small group gather around an elderly man lying in a bed. It was the quintessential scene of farewell — tears, quiet reassurances, and a heavy silence that fell as the bed was wheeled away, leaving behind only the echo of unspoken goodbyes. In that moment, it struck me: we’re not just bidding farewell to a person, but to a version of ourselves, a piece of our shared past.

The man on that bed may have been remembered by his children as a stern, capable father — one who walked with purpose and spoke with conviction. Yet today, he was reduced to a frail figure, vulnerable beneath crisp white sheets, a stark contrast to the image etched in their memories. The gap between what we remember and what reality delivers makes goodbyes all the more painful. In essence, people “die” twice: first in the physical sense, and later when the vivid image in our memories fades to a mere echo.

This realization led me to ponder: what exactly are we saying goodbye to in our lives?

Often, we bid farewell not to a person, but to an old version of ourselves. I recall graduation day vividly — dressed in cap and gown, crowded on the school field taking photos. The smiles…