But today, there were more questions that usual. "Mom, how many weeks do I have left at this school?" "Mom, will we be here for November 18th?" Today, I sensed a growing tension in my daughter's voice - and that, coupled with the goodbye from this morning led me to close her bedroom door and hold her for a bit.
My Stevie is 10 this year. She's had to say goodbye to friends in the past, but now she's old enough to have grown really close to them. Saying goodbye is not easy for anyone - but to Stevie, it's the end of the world. She doesn't have the experience to know that life goes on, that new friends will come and go... Tonight, I held her and I apologized to her. This decision is so very hard for me, but I needed her to know that I have nothing but the VERY BEST intentions for our whole family. Sometimes, in life, we have to give up the things that we love in order to grow. We talked for a good hour. We shared giggles and tears... It was important for her to see me cry, to know that I'm just as sad and afraid as she is. It was important for me, to be able to reassure her that no matter what, we're a family and we have each other and that new friends WILL come along!
Through the back window of our '59 wagon
I watched my best friend Jamie slipping further away
I kept on waving till I couldn't see her
And through my tears I asked again why we couldn't stay
Mama whispered softly time will ease your pain
Life's about changing nothing ever stays the same
And she said how can I help you to say goodbye it's okay to hurt and it's okay to cry
Come let me hold you and I will try how can I help you to say goodbye
-Patti Loveless
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