Sunflower Seeds logo

Sunflower Seeds

 

Celebrating Everyday Spirituality

Sunflower Seeds

Celebrating Everyday Spirituality

The Ways We Say Goodbye

When we part from another person, we ordinarily say “goodbye” in English. The etymology of the word “goodbye” is interesting. It is derived from the phrase “God be with you.”  If you squish the four words together, you will come up with “goodbye.” 

The French adieu and Spanish adios are similar. They are short for a dieu vous commant and a dios vos acomiendo both of which mean “I commend you to God.”  I goodbyethink it’s rather wonderful that our parting words to one another are really a short wish or prayer that the other person might walk with God. (I wonder if atheists know this?)

The German “goodbye” is different. It’s auf Wiedersehen which literally means “until we see each other again.” I like that. It implies that this parting is not final. In English we sometimes say “See ya!” which implies the same thing. When I say my final goodbye to my loved ones at their deaths, I sometimes say an auf Wiedersehen under my breath, meaning “I’ll see you again–in eternity.”

We say other things to each other when we bid goodbye. I often hear and use “take care.” I like that too for it means, “you are precious to me–so take care of yourself.” Or, the world is a precious but precarious place, so take care as you negotiate your way through it.”

At our partings we often hear, “Have a good day.” Some people think this phrase is so overused it is rendered meaningless. But I, for one, still like this phrase. I think it fosters good feelings between people–even strangers (a cashier at the checkout and a customer, for example). The phrase also implies that, to a certain extent, we determine what kind of a day we’re going to have–often by our attitude. (I read this somewhere: If someone says to you, “Have a good day,” just say, “Sorry, but I have other plans!” It usually gets their attention.)

Saying goodbye extends to written communication as well. How do you end your letters or emails? When I write to my loved ones I often end with “Love, Melannie,” “Love & prayers, Melannie,” or “With much love, Melannie.” Sometimes I say “Prayerfully” or “In Jesus” or “In Mary.”  With more formal correspondence I usually opt for the simple yet timeless, “Sincerely.”

Our partings from one another are very significant. That’s because we never know when we will see each other again–or even if military goodbyewe will see each other again. When we experience the sudden or unexpected death of a friend or loved one, often we immediately recall our last goodbye–which has now become our “final” goodbye. (A touching true story: A couple had been married for over 50 years. When the wife went to crawl out of bed one morning, she said “good morning” to her husband and gave him a big kiss. They chatted a moment. Then she got up while he stayed in bed. A short time later, he had a massive heart attack and died. Later she remarked, “If I had known he was going to die that morning, I would never have stopped kissing him.”)

Because our partings are so important, we often mark them with ritualistic words (a goodbye, see ya, take care) and with actions (kisses, hugs, pats on the back, hand shakes, high-fives, fist bumps.) These words and gestures are all beautiful expressions of our love, respect, and appreciation for one another.

Which raises the question: How should I end this reflection? I think I’ll just say: goodbye, auf Wiedersehen, and take care. Love & prayers, Melannie.

What are some of the ways you say goodbye to people?

 

8 Responses

  1. Sr. Melannie,

    Great message!

    I often include a thank you as I say goodbye to folks (especially if it will be awhile before I see them again). In my often busy doings, I need to stop and take time to be with friends and family. That is why I like connections like Skype where you can actually see the person. Gratitude for time spent together is an important part of goodbye for me.

    Kathleen

    1. Dear Kathleen, I like what you said: “Gratitude for time spent together is an important part of goodbye for me.” Yes, we thank people for gifts. And their greatest gift is their choice to spend time with us. Thank you for responding! Melannie

  2. Melanie,
    Just last week I lost my grandnephew (age 30). When I kissed him goodbye I said, Charles Anthony I love you and I always will.

  3. most frequents “Good byes”
    Good bye sweet cakes(daughters) Good bye sunshine (son) Good bye handsome (hubby) Good bye wonderful (students)

    God, take “____ ” into your arms…be with us both (death of a loved one)

    God, bless you and keep you (silent blessing for people I don’t know)

    Thank you ( for others who are very generous with their ‘gifts.’)
    Marian

  4. My folks were Polish, and ever since we were little they would tell us “speech Bog um” (Not sure of the spelling) meaning “sleep with God” How comforting this is = to this day. We said it to my Mom when she was taking her last breaths. Very comforting to us. Esther Laczko

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Blog Posts

One thing I like about praying: anything goes. I didn’t always believe this. As a little girl, I thought praying was mostly something you did in church on Sundays, or something you did before eating supper, or you did kneeling beside your bed every night. I didn’t realize that anything

Some of us will experience a total eclipse of the sun on Monday, April 8, 2024. The Cleveland, Ohio area is in its direct path. We will be privileged to witness this astronomical phenomenon from 1:59.20 PM to 4:28.57 PM (EST) (How’s that for pinpoint accuracy!) Even if our typical

Meet Sr. Melannie

Hi and welcome to my blog! I’m Sister Melannie, a Sister of Notre Dame residing in Chardon, Ohio, USA. I’ve been very lucky! I was raised in a loving family on a small farm in northeast Ohio. I also entered the SNDs right after high school. Over the years, my ministries have included high school and college teaching, novice director, congregational leadership, spiritual direction, retreat facilitating, and writing. I hope you enjoy “Sunflower Seeds” and will consider subscribing below. I’d love to have you in our “sunflower community.” Thank you!

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Loading

Upcoming Events

Finding God in the Ordinary and Amazing: An Afternoon with Sister Melannie

Sunday, May 19, 2024 – 1:30 – 4:00 Central – via zoom

Sponsored by the Portiuncula Center for Prayer – Frankfort, Illinois

Fee: Donation

For details visit: [email protected]

Weekend retreat at Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center, Pulaski, PA
October 11-13, 2024

October 11-13, 2024

Details to follow

Retreat with the Sisters of Loretto, Nerinx, KY
September 8-13, 2024

September 8-13, 2024

Details to follow

Retreat at Lial Renewal Center, Whitehouse, OH
August 11-18, 2024

August 11-18, 2024

Retreat at Heartland Center for Spirituality, Great Bend, KS
April 14-19, 2024

April 14-19, 2024

Details to follow

First Friday Club in Youngstown, Ohio
April 4, 2024

April 4, 2024

Details to be determined

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.