Goodbye-how i really don't like that word much anymore. After living and working at Mountainview for 10 years, i can't remember how many goodbyes i have had to say. Each year as the month of May rolls around, my heart begins the process of preparing itself for the inevitable ripping/tearing it will feel at the end of the month. Each year we say goodbye to at least 10 - 20 graduates. Each of them heading off to different parts of the world with some never knowing if they will come back to Indonesia. We also say goodbye to staff that have worked with us anywhere from 2 to 3 years or much longer than that. Last night we said goodbye to Amanda D., the last of the staff to leave Salatiga. On Thursday was our goodbye to Maria and Ferdinand who are heading to Canada. Maria is from Winnepeg and Ferdinand is from Indonesia. So, he gets to go through the cultural adjustment of living in another country. Right after graduation we said goodbye to Pat vanderMark who had been here longer than me, is in her 70's and is now back in the U.S. with her family. She has been such a stabilizer and encourager to me through my years working here that i can't imagine what school will be like without her.
Last night as i ate dinner with some friends i said that i think i will just start disappearing at the end of May so that i can avoid all these goodbyes. My friend Amanda looked at me and said, "But do you think that would be good for you Laura?" She knows me well and i realize that goodbyes are part of the closure that i need in particular. I told everyone that i don't even like it when people leave my house and don't say goodbye. (Yes Jeremy...that's you! :) ) so i guess avoiding saying a permanent goodbye would be even harder. So while the tearing and ripping hurts, i recognize that it is part of the process of life that we are called to here. I am thankful to be a part of this community of believers-there is a special bonding that goes on when working at a small school like ours and interacting with one another on more than just a work related basis. We get to know our students-we pray with them, talk with them, play with them-basically experience their growing up. We also are more like a family as a staff-hanging out together, going on vacations together...praying and crying with one another and walking through the good times and the hard times with one another.
Each year i wonder if i will be able to go through the process of getting to know the new staff and will i want to get close to any of them. But, then August rolls around and May is but a memory and we are off and running into the new school year, new friendships, along with the old, new memories and just being a community working and living out our faith together.
