One of the hardest things in life is to say Farewell. And we have come to that time of year again when it is a common word in our daily vocabulary.
This week alone I will have gone to 3 farewell parties of good friends that we have made these last 2 years. People we have had adventures with. People who started life in Nairobi at the same time as us and whom we have discovered the highs and lows of Nairobi together. It is a sad time of year for us as we bid them farewell and wish them the best on their new adventure in new places.
Even on the way home from school today, Edie was chatting about everything and anything and then said with a forlorn face; 'Mummy, I will miss Armrah and I will miss Anya. I will miss their giggles.' All I could do was agree.
As part of living abroad we have to prepare our children for a lot more friends who will come and go in their lives and how to manage this without constantly feeling too hurt or shutting themselves off from making friends altogether. Something we all have to learn to do. And I have to be more aware of bad behaviour that it may just be their way of saying they are hurting and are sad. Not always easy to do.
Last time in Church they also mentioned transition and asked everyone who was moving in the next few weeks to stand up and we prayed for them. You really know you are living internationally when your church does that.
(Oh and even as I write this and Audrey is playing the piano facing the other direction she asks 'Mummy, when is Nicole leaving!' So I tell her to come over and read what I am writing - and she humphs and tells me I have made a grammatical error)
So there we are, another part of 'normal' international living - saying Goodbye. All I can say (for once) is thank goodness for Facebook and keeping in touch with people all over the world.
