The hardest word
When you have already said goodbye to your nearest and dearest for an extended period of time, you would think it makes it easier to do a second time. Wrong.
Instead, what happens is, for the last few days before separation, it’s all you can think about. If you do manage a few sweet moments of relief, the big fat ‘goodbye’ hanging over your head just returns with even more of a crash. So the days before we flew, along with the general panicky feeling of ‘have I done everything?’ were lived with a sinking, nauseous feeling in my stomach.
I’d just about managed to hold it together, even through the wrench of saying goodbye to most of my family and friends, and even through the emotions of the Lourdes mass I went to that morning with mum. However, on getting to Manchester airport, it was the face of my lovely cousin Claire-Louise that got us all going. I was meeting Andy at Heathrow (he’d had many, many instructions as to just how early to turn up), so for the first leg, I was by myself. And never have I felt more alone than when I said goodbye to Kian, Gabi, Claire-Louise, Aunty Rosemary, Uncle Mike, and Mum and walked through the departure gate. I won’t even pretend that I remotely held it together, instead I sobbed in an undignified fasion through security, through a cup of tea at Costa, and through the first flight, leaving Manchester for I don’t know how long.
Luckily, the Jones siblings had heeded my warnings of the terrible things that would happen to them if they were late, so I didn’t have long to wait before they all turned up, all looking green around the gills at the thought of their own goodbye that was now looming. As tough as it was saying goodbye, it was lovely to see Paul and Cerys, and to bid them farewell for now.
All the goodbyes over with, Andy and I made a pact – we would sit and feel sad for the length of time it took for one drink and to read all our farewell cards from our family and friends, but after that, we would go through to departures, and from that point our adventure had begun. And that’s what we did. One last time for crying and feeling blue, reading all the lovely messages of support, and then onwards and upwards, to a glass of bubbly and allowing the true excitement of what we were doing to fall on us for the first time.
Distance doesn’t separate family and friends, the last trip has taught me that for sure. It’s what’s in my heart that counts, and my heart will carry you all around the world with me.
Tags: 1, UK home airport goodbye
Suzanne
have you been back in england then ?
Hi Suzie: Still get a lump in my throat when i think of that Thursday morning;
we were all red-eyed and very teary! I guess it’s the fact that I’m no good
at travelling that makes me think “how long will it be before I see you both”!!
or in the words of the song “When will I see you again”? one of my favourite
songs which reminds me of Bermuda!! Still, as you say onwards and upwards
don’t want to be negative, I know you’ll both have the time of your lives
and I wish you both well to enjoy it all….. in my thoughts and prayers.
Love to you both Auntie Rosemary x
Hi Suzie,
I am missing you so much words cannot explain it. I can’t even imagine you leaving for good and now you are gone. I am in tears actually writing this because I just hate saying goodbye. You were always so Magnanamas (Check me out!) and you were so close to me my mum and Kian. It is like the family has lost some of it because you were such a great part of it. I will always keep you close to me though I can’t look at a picture of you without spurting with tears. I don’t even have anything to say but I want to keep speaking. Kian is missing you alot and so is my mum but I tell you, I am missing you more than anyone. I was thinking about names for your cafe if you open one but obviously my ideas would not be much use because I am only 11 but even so I could only think of RIGHT CHOICE you know like the plane. But it doesn’t matter. I wish you luck and lots of kisses and hugs x x x
Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots of love from
Gabi x x x x x x
P.S. These pictures are from me to you x x x x x x
____________$$_$_____________
_____$$$$$_______$____$$______
___$$$$$$$$$_____$__$__$$_____
__$$$$$$$$$$$$___$_$__________
__$$$______$$$$__$_____$$$$$__
_$$$_________$$_$__$$$$$$$$$$_
_$$$_________$$__$$$$$$$$$$$$_
_$$$_________$$$$$$______$$$$_
__$$_________$$$_________$$$__
__$$________$$$__________$$$__
___$$______$$$__________$$$___
____$$$___$$$________$$$$$____
__$$$$$$_$__$$_$$$$$$$$_______
_$$$____$___$___$$____________
$$$$$_$$____$____$$___________
__$$$$$____$$$_$$$____________
____________$$$$$_____________
______________$$_____________
´´´´´´´´´´¶.**..**.
´´´´´´´´´´¶¶*..**..*
´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶ .*.*.*.
¶¶¶´´´´´¶¶´¶*..**.*.
´¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶´´¶*.*.**..**.
´´´¶¶´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶*.*.*.*.*.
´´´´´¶¶´¶¶´´´´¶¶¶¶*.*.**.
´´´´¶¶´´´´´¶¶¶.**.**.*.
´´´¶¶´¶¶¶¶´´¶*.*.*.**.
´´¶¶¶¶¶´´¶¶´¶´´´´´´´´¶*.**.*.*.*
´¶¶´´´´´´´´¶¶¶´´´´´´¶¶*..**.*.
´´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶´´´´´¶¶¶*.*.**.*
´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶*.*.**.*.*
´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶*.*.*.*.*
´´´¶¶¶¶¶´´´´´´´´¶¶¶´´¶¶ *.**.*.*
´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶´´´¶¶*..**.**.*
´´´´´´¶¶¶¶´´¶¶¶¶¶´´´´¶¶¶*.**.*.*
´´´´´´´´¶¶¶´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶*.*.**.
´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶´´´¶¶¶¶´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶*.**
´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶´¶¶¶¶´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶*.**.*
´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶´´´´´¶´¶¶¶¶¶¶*.*.*.**.
´´´´´´´´´´¶¶´´´´´¶´´´´¶¶*.*.*.**.
´´´´´´´´´¶¶´´¶¶¶¶¶¶´´´¶¶¶*.*.*.*
´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶´¶¶¶¶´¶¶¶ .**.*.
´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶¶ *.**.*
´´´´´¶¶¶¶´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶¶¶ *.**.
´´´´´¶´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶*.*.*.
´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´¶¶¶*.*.**.
´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´¶*.*.**.**
________$$$$______________$$$$$_____$$$
_______$___$$$$_________$$____$$__$$___$
______$$_____$$$$$$$$$$$_______$$$_____$$
______$_______________$$_______$$_______$
______$_______________$$______$$$$$$$$$$$
______$_______________$$_____$$$$$$$_____$
______$$_______________$$____$$$$$$$_____$
______$$________________$$$$$$$$$$$$_____$
_____$$________________________$$$$_____$
_____$$___________________________$$___$$
____$$______________________________$$$__$
____$$___________________________________$$
____$$__________________________________$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$______$$$________________$$$______$
____$$_______$$$________________$$$_____$$
_____$$______$$$______$$$$______$$$______$$$$$
__$$$$$$$____________$$$$$$____________$$$
_______$$$______________________________$$
______$$_$$___________________________$$__$$
____$$_____$$______________________$$$$
____________$$$$$$____________$$$$$$
$$$$__________________$$$$
__$$$$$________________$$$$$
__$$$$$$______________$$$$$$
___$$$$$$$___________$$$$$$$
_____$$$$$$$$_______$$$$$$$$
______$$$$$$$$$_____$$$$$$$
________$$$$$$$$____$$$$$$$
_________$$$$$$$$$__$$$$$$
____________$$$$$$$$$$$$$
______________$$$$$$$$$
__________$$$$$$$$$$$$$
________$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
_______$$$___$$$$$$$$$$$$
______$$$$$_$$$$$$$$$$$$$
_____$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
______$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
_______$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
___________$$$$$$$$$$$$$
_____*#######*
____*##########*
__*##############
__################
_##################_________*######
__##################_____*##########
__##################___*#############
___#################*_###############
____#################################
______###############################
_______#############################
________=##########################
__________########################
___________*#####################
____________*##################
_____________*###############
_______________#############
________________##########
________________=#######*
_________________######
__________________####
__________________###
__________________##
__________________#
________________$$__________________$$$$
______________$$________________________$$$$
____________$$______________________________$$
___________$__________________________________$$
___________$$___________________________________$$
__________$$__$$______________________$$__________$$
________$$__$$___$$$$_________$$$$____$$__________$$$$
______$$___$$__$$$$__$$_____$$$$__$$_$$_____________$$$
______$$___$$____$$$$_________$$$$___$$_______________$$
______$$___$$________________________$$_______________$$
______$$____$$_______________________$$_____________$$
________$$__$$____$$$$$$_____________$$___________$$$
________$$__$$__$$______$$___________$$_________$$
________$$__$$__$$______$$___________$$_______$$
__________$$$$____$$$$$$_____________$$$$____$$$$
__________$$$$_____________________$$__$$____$$$
___________$$_$$$$$$$$$$$$_____$$$$______$$$$_$$
_____________$$___$$______$$$$$_______________$$
_____________$$_____$$$$$$$____________________$$
_____________$$________________________________$$
____________$$_________________________________$$
____________$$_________________________________$$
____________$$___________________________________$
____________$$___________________________________$$
__________$$_________________________$$___________$
__________$$__________$$___________$$_____________$$
________$$__$$________$$_________$$_______________$$
______$$____$$__________$$_______$$_______________$$
______$$____$$____________$$___$$_________________$$
____$$______$$_____________$$_$$_______$$_________$$
____$$______$$________$$____$$$________$$_________$$
____$$______$$________$$____$$$_______$$__________$$
____$$______$$________$$_______________$$__________$$
____$$______$$________$$_______________$$____________$
_$$$$_______$$________$$_______________$$____________$$
$___$$______$$________$$$$___________$$$$____________$$
$___$$______$$________$$__$$_______$$__$$____________$$
_$$$$$______$$________$$____$$___$$_____$$___________$$
____$$______$$________$$______$$_______$$___________$$
____$$______$$________$$_____$$________$$___________$$
__$$________$$________$$$$$$$$___$$$$$$__$$_________$$
__$$________$$________$$______$$$______$$$$_________$$
$$________$$__________$$_________$$$$$$__$$__________$
$$______$$__________$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$______$$__________$
$$_$$_$$$__________$$_____________$$$$$$$__$$_________$
_$$$$$$$___________$$______________________$$________$$
_____$$__$$__$$__$$_$______________________$$__________$$
______$$$$__$___$__$$______________________$$____________$
_______$$___$___$__$________________________$$_$_ $
P.P.S. LOVE YOU LOADS X X X X X X
Wow – what a fantastic message Gabi left for you Suze. You’ll have to try and print off these lovely pictures.
Gabi – I think you are really clever and you say such lovely things when you speak straight from your heart. Don’t ever change – stay as sweet as you are, always.