Saying good good-byes

We are working through some interesting material with our kids on how to say good bye well. Each of our responses to the questions has been interesting - things we didn't think were overly important to the kids really are and things we wouldn't have thought of as adults they bring up.

“If you go away from a place without saying good-bye to it – not just to people, but to the place itself – you’ll carry this strange anchor behind you. You can’t say good hellos if you haven’t said good good-byes.” David Pollock

He suggests you build a RAFT. The letters of the word “raft” are an acronym:
Reconciliation - resolve interpersonal conflict
Affirmation - express appreciation for relationships and experiences
Farewells - say clear good-byes to people, places, possessions, even pets
Think destination - be sure your expectations are realistic, neither overly positive or negative

Adequate farewells are an important part of leaving and preparing for moving to a new place. Saying good-bye to people and places (yes, even verbally saying good-bye to places!) helps create a smoother conclusion. Think about your life where you’re currently living. In order to plan for closure, you need to answer a few questions:
~Who are the people who have been important to you?
~What places have had special meaning?
~What activities have you enjoyed most?

Now that you’ve identified meaningful people, places and activities, you can decide how you want to bring about closure. For each one, decide how, when, and where you’ll say goodbye. Don’t forget to include ordinary everyday things because you’ll miss those too.

Try completing the following sentences:
Before I leave . . .
I want to go to __________________________________________ one more time.
I want to buy __________________________________________ to take with me.
I want to take pictures of ______________________________________________.
I want to apologize to _________________________________________________.
I want to thank _______________________________________________________.

Glendyne mentioned that this material is probably pertinent to pastors and others whose vocations cause them to move a lot. If you are considering a move in the near future, take time to work through these questions so you can finish well AND begin well.