the last goodbye

NeverSayGoodbye

WhenIwastenIwassuddenlyconfrontedwiththeanguishofmovingfromthe

elife,briefasitwas,hadbeenspentinthatbig

oldhou,gracefullytouchedwiththelaughterandtearsoffourgenerations.

Whenthefinaldaycame,Irantothehavenofthesmallbackporchandsatalone,

shuddering,lyIfeltahandrestonmy

duptoemygrandfather."Itisn'teasy,isit,Billy?"hesaidsoftly,

sittingdownonthestepsbesideme.

"Grandpa,"Irepliedthroughmytears,"howcanIeversaygoodbyetoyouand

allmyfriends?"

Foramomenthejuststaredoffintotheappletrees."Goodbyeissuchasad

word,"hesaid."Itemstoofinal,toocold,tohaveso

manywaysofsayinggoodbyeandtheyallhaveonethingincommon:sadness".

lytookmyhandinhis."Comewithme,

myfriend,"hewhispered.

Wewalked,handinhand,tohisfavoriteplaceinthefrontyard,whereahuge

redrobushsatconspicuouslyalone.

"Whatdoyouehere,Billy?"Heasked.

Ilookedattheflower,notknowingwhattosay,andthenanswered,"Ie

somethingsoftandbeautiful,Grandpa."

Kneeling,hepulledmeclo."Itisn'tjusttherosthatarebeautiful,'s

thatspecialplaceinyourheartthatmakesthemso."

Hiyesmetmineagain."Billy,Iplantedtherosalong,longtime

ago—emintothesoilthedaymyfirst

y'snamewasBilly,

owatchhimpickrosforhismother."

Isawmygrandfather'cebecame

hoar.

"Onedayaterriblewarcame,andmyson,likesomanysons,wentawaytofight

walkedtothetrainstationtogether...Threemonthslatera

uldthinkofwas

thatthelastthingIsaidtohiminthislifewasgoodbye."

Grandpaslowlystoodup."Don'teversaygoodbye,'tevergiveinto

outorememberinsteadthejoy

at

specialhelloandlockitawaywithinyou—inthatplaceinyourheartwheresummer

uandyourfriendsmustpart,Iwantyoutoreachdeep

withinyouandbringbackthatfirsthello."

Ayearandhalflater,returnedfrom

veralweeksinthehospital,hewantedhisbednexttothewindow,wherehecould

ehisbelovedrobush.

ecided

thattheoldestgrandchildrenwouldbeallowedtosaytheirgoodbyes.

Whenitcametomyturn,swereclodand

hisbreathingwasslowandhard.

Itookhishandasgentlyashehadoncetakenmine.

"Hello,Grandpa,"sslowlyopened,

"Hello,myfriend,"hesaid,sclodagainandI

movedon.

Iwasstandingbyhisrobushwhenanunclecametotellmethatmy

eringGrandpa'swords,Ireacheddeepwithinmefor

ly,andtruly,Iknew

whathehadmeantaboutneversayinggoodbye—aboutrefusingtogiveintothe

sadness.

MEMORABLEQUOTES

ThehappiestmomentsofmylifehavebeenthefewwhichIhavepasdat

homeinthebosomofmyfamily.

—ThomasJefferson

Whereweloveishome,Homethatourfeetmayleave,butnotourhearts.

—OliverWendellHolmes