Hello Friend, Goodbye Friend.
We dread to say two of the hardest words in the human vocabulary; Hello Friend and Goodbye Friend.
“Friends come in all different shapes and sizes… The important thing is not what we look like but the role we play in our best friend’s life. Friends choose certain friends because that’s the kind of company they are looking for at that specific time, not because they’re the correct height, age, or have the right hair color. It’s not always the case, but often there’s a reason why…” ― Cecelia Ahern If You Could See Me Now.
We have all lost someone before, family, loved ones, children.
For an animal lover, losing a pet can be equally devastating.
But above all, losing a genuine friend is the most difficult.
Hello Friend.
“How did you first meet?”
“I don’t remember. Someone probably said hello first,” I quipped.
“It’s probably you….”
“Yes, of course.”
Goodbye Friend Quotes
Friends are the family that we get to choose.
You don’t have that lucky with family and colleagues.
Your biggest supporters make up a team of people called “friends.”
They become your confidants, sidekicks, and even therapists.
Keep in touch and check in on your friends once in a while.
No matter how near or far they are, let each other know that you are always there – just a phone call away.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to people you care about, so finding the right words to express yourself is essential.
Here’s hoping to make this exhausting transition smoother and more memorable, may this offer comfort in times of confusion.
If you can’t find the words to express how you feel to someone, you can write them a letter.
If a letter seems overwhelming, you can write a note or even a card.
Another way to personalize your words is to present these words creatively.
A handwritten quote with a framed picture of you and your friend can be a meaningfully cherished gift.
You can customize and add a special quote to a coffee cup, a wooden plaque, or a journal’s cover with the internet.
Handmade Art to Say Goodbye Friend
A parting gift that is handmade includes something that your friend can display on a desk or as a fridge magnet.
Repurpose going away gifts to include a meaningful quote on their favorite piece of artwork.
You know your friends best.
So, grab a quote and turn that into a gift that will make them smile and think of you despite the distance.
A
“At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.” – Unknown.
B
“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” – Garrison Keillor.
D
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss.
“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach
E
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Semisonic
“Even if we can’t be together in the end, I’m glad that you were a part of my life.” – Unknown.
F
“Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again.” – William Shakespeare
G
“Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again.” -Unknown.
“Good friends never say goodbye. They simply say, “See you soon.” -Unknown.
H
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh.
I
“I thank you for your part in my journey.” – Unknown.
“I have learned along my journey that letting go doesn’t mean loving less.” –Alex Elle.
L
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
N
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” – J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan.
“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau.
R
“Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry.” – Dr. Suess.
S
“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.” – Helen Keller.
“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” – Flavia Weedn.
“Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.” – Trey Parker.
T
“Though miles may lie between us, we are never far apart, for friendship doesn’t count miles. It’s measured by the heart.” – Unknown.
“Truly great friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.” – G. Randolf.
“The two hardest things to say in life are hello for the first time and goodbye for the last.” – Moira Rogers.
“True friends don’t say goodbye; they just take extended leaves of absences from each other.” – Unknown.
“This is the beginning of anything you want.” – Unknown.
W
“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place. We stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.” – Pascal Mercier, Night Train to Lisbon.
Y
“Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, though somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.” – Unknown.
“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” – E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web
“You and I will meet again; When we’re least expecting it, One day in some far-off place, I will recognize your face, I won’t say goodbye my friend, For you and I will meet again.” – Tom Petty.
“You’ve changed me forever. And I’ll never forget you.” – Kiera Cass.
Goodbye Friend, Sorry You Have To Go.
We get to walk alongside our friends.
Some memories that pop up are perhaps seconds long, fleetingly.
It could be the last time my friend slowed down as he drove, and I waved.
It was the last time I saw him – and it crushes me to have to write that.
A common friend mentioned to me that her husband managed to spend some two hours with him – chatting, reliving their high school days.
And he was glad that they had that window of time together.
There’s a thing that we always say, albeit with difficulty, when someone dies.
“I wished I had one more time to hang out with my friend.”
In the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, things changed for many of us.
The people who had to leave suddenly were no longer the strangers we read about in other countries, other states, other communities.
In May, Wesley left after a four-year bout with leukemia.
I remember the first time we met. I was writing a story, and he was my interviewee.
After some time, I got to know that we have a common friend from high school.
Workwise, we could chat about engineering and photography.
One day I was in town, and we caught up for a coffee.
I remembered I was flying off the next day for about two weeks.
I noticed he had enormous bruises on his forearms.
The dark purple patches were about 2″ to 3″ in diameter.
I told him they don’t look good, and since he had diabetes – he better got that checked out.
I was still overseas when he texted they diagnosed him with Adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated immediately.
I visited Wesley once at the hospital during a tough time for him.
A few years later, I met him briefly with his family at a Kopitiam.
I never saw him again until I learned of his passing in May.
Andre passed on yesterday.
The last conversation I had with him was in Jasmine Café, Penang.
It was almost 25 years ago.
We were both at the same restaurant for a quick dinner, sitting at a separate table.
He invited me to join him at his big table.
Back in the day, I would choose to sit wedged in a corner.
We chatted, and I remembered Andre telling me of his family and how important forgiveness and reconciliation are for everyone.
Andre was a church youth leader, and in his time, he has impacted many many lives through his music and outreach programs.
With the outpouring of love and dedication from many people who loved him, we join in to celebrate Andre’s life.
I think of it this way.
Andre has completed his tasks.
He’s just gone back to the Father’s house to celebrate.
Let us REJOICE and celebrate his life and the lives of all who have gone home before us.
