It's difficult to say ...

I've been saying goodbye today.


This morning, I saw a friend whom I haven't seen for a while.
We chatted about our summer plans and I invited him over for dinner on some ambiguous several-weeks-in-the-future day. I have a tremendous respect for him and for his ventures, but he's recently graduated and soon to go on to bigger and better things.
All the while, as we talked about our plans and how we would see each other later, all the hopeful words sounded like an eloquent goodbye.
I'd like the summer to slow down a bit so I can see him again before school starts up and he departs in search of his future.
My appreciation of his presence and camaraderie must be temporary. We both have a lot of good to do in the world, and probably in different places.


This evening, I saw a friend whom I don't see often enough. We haven't kept quite enough of each other in our lives. He was having a farewell party. He just finished being a freshman and is going off to do bigger and better things - for a month in Oaxaca. We didn't talk much - opting for music instead. I'll probably see him again before I leave for home and he leaves for Oaxaca. But, even though I'm at a farewell party and my mouth is saying the shape "goodbye," I hear the music that we'll play when he comes back. Summer is nice, but I'd like it to speed up a little so I can hear those wagon wheels rollin' again.

I miss people even when they're here,
because mixed with every wonderful moment
and with every hope of the future
is the knowledge that the moments of the future
will not be these moments.
We all move on.

I only hope that the future we build has more moments like these.
Then it won't only be goodbye