Bidding farewell to someone can be done using a variety of words. For example bye, ciao, hasta la vista, see ya, arrivaderci and talk to you later. Those are all fairly common, and are all ones that I’ve used myself.
However, there is one word that I usually reserve specifically for special circumstances. This word has more meaning to me than any other word in the dictionary. It is also the word I dread the most. “Goodbye.”
All the other forms of farewell mean nothing more to me than a gap in time, between this meeting and the next. Goodbye on the other hand, is final. The mere thought of saying that word weakens me and causes tension throughout my entire body. It is a dreadful word.
For me, goodbye is normally used for only two situations.
One is death. That is by far the hardest of the two. There is no coming back. There is no making up for lost time. No more will I hear their laughter, their words or watch them as they interact with others. Never again will I feel their arms around me or watch a smile spread across their face. No more birthday cards will be sent to them. It is final.
The other is similar to death, only the person is still living. Cutting ties with people that are causing your life more harm than good can be very difficult, but sometimes necessary. I’ve done that once, and it was far from easy. It didn’t mean that I no longer cared for them, or loved them any less. There are times when you must admit to yourself that you can’t hold onto what’s hurting you anymore, no matter how hard it is to let go.
I’d like to never say goodbye again, but I know that there will come a time when I’ll have to. I’m not sure when it will be, or who it will be said to. All I know is that I dread that day.
Goodbye. What a dreadful word. It’s not a gap in time. It’s finality.
Me - Who am I? 
Hej då is the words in swedish..!
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Thanks for the additional word! I haven’t heard that one before.
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Interesting. I say that word all the time without giving it a second’s thought. It’s usually the way I end a phone call with a work associate or a client. “Thanks for taking the time to speak with me this morning. I’ll reach out to you in about a week. Goodbye.” Of course, when I’m talking to friends, it’s more like “Okay bye,” or “See you [or talk to you] later.” But I don’t ascribe the same finality to the word “goodbye” that you do.
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I think for many, it is a very common way to say farewell. It’s the most proper way to say it. I’m not sure what formed my opinion of that word and why I now associate it to certain events. It’s been that way since I was a kid. Maybe I heard it once and never saw that person again? Who knows.
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seriously? Don’t make me cry in the middle of the day!!
I’m with you, there is a finality in that word way too often.
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Sorry Kate! I’ll see if I can come up with something more cheerful for a follow up post.
It’s interesting to see that there are others out there who feel the same about that word. Such a simple word, but with so much meaning behind it.
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Yes! there are times that I can say it and it doesn’t mean anything – but there are times that I say it and I know that it means everything.
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Goodbye seems so final. Maybe that is why we shorten it to ‘bye’ or as I say to my grandkids “bye bye”.
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I wonder what it is about that word that makes it feel that way. It’s odd, but interesting that so many people share that thought.
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Maybe it is the harshness of the syllables on the tongue that make it seem so different.
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I think that’s exactly what it is.There is nothing good about goodbye.
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I was thinking about this. When you say the word good, your lips end up pursed. When you say great, there is a smile. When you say bye, there is a smile. It just doesn’t work as well in the good + bye combination. Interesting isn’t it?
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Sue, you are onto something. Both good and bye are formed using a pout-like expression. No wonder it sounds so solemn. Great insight!
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Sometimes I amaze myself 😉
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Mot tally agree. I feel so much sadness if the mere mention of the word. Goodbye is indeed final
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Yes, there is so much sadness in that word.
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I would be happy to say Goodbye to someone who was sucking the life out of me, but I have had the very sad opportunity to see off those who were too young to die. In that situation I’d never say Goodbye. I would choose one of two words. One is “See ye”. This is used here in Ireland every day and is way less final than Goodbye. The other I have whispered to those who have died, it is “codladh sámh” (pronounced cull a saw ve) an Irish word for “sleep peacefully”.
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That’s true. There are some instances when saying goodbye may be a relief. Seeing someone go too young or even at all is much more difficult. I appreciate how you don’t end your time with them with the farewells you choose. I’d like to think that I will see my lost loved ones again one day. I believe it will happen.
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I have those who I wish I had never had to say goodbye to, and those who I should have said goodbye to a long time ago. It is an ending word for sure.
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It can be good or sad depending on the circumstance. For me, it’s been mostly sad.
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Too many goodbyes for me, some seriously not hard to say goodbye to. I haven’t missed their rottenness at all. There is someone I want to say goodbye to, and that is the ugly inside of me. The me who holds me back. The me who thinks I’m not worth anything. The me who believes I’m stupid. In this instance, I can’t wait to say goodbye—forever.
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I think of all living people, the biggest one we should say goodbye to is the one inside of each of us. That one sucks the life out of us if we let it and even sometimes when we’re doing our best to avoid it. That’s an ugly person for sure.
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