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Hello Again

 Goodbyes are never easy. I saw this quote the other day: "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" -A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

I have been thinking of that this past week as I am saying my goodbyes to this place and the friends I have made along the way. It's an odd feeling knowing this will most likely be the last of something that has become a daily or weekly routine. The neighborhood walks with my dog, runs through the park, standing coffee time with a girlfriend, weekly bible study group and my precious morning, quiet time on the screened in porch. Those are just a few of things that I am thankful to have had that makes saying goodbye so hard. 


I told my husband that before we leave I want to bottle up some of the soil, bark and pine needles from the park. I want to bring a little Boston with me when we leave. I absolutely love that smell. He bought me some mason jars on my birthday and we set out to do just that. I'm taking this with me when I leave as well as some great memories.
I wish you could smell this! 


I remember when I first moved here and the guard I had put up because I had just gone through the painful goodbyes elsewhere. I was hesitant to make new friends that I knew I would eventually have to hug goodbye. Even having had said goodbye to our sweet yellow lab. I told my hubby, "not again I don't want another dog that I have to say goodbye to again". But he wore me down, I lowered my guard, said hello again to a new dog and I can't imagine life without her. And I did the same with people, neighbors and women in my community who invited me into their homes and hearts, I lowered my guard, said hello again and am a better person for having met them. They loved me well, I am so thankful and can't imagine what my life here in Boston would have been without them. Even though I am physically hugging them goodbye I know we will keep in touch and continue lasting friendships.

What I learned from this is that while goodbyes can be hard, isolation can be deadly. It traps us and causes us to focus only on ourselves in order to avoid pain. I can miss out on so much when I keep a guard up and don't let people in or invest in others. We are not promised tomorrow so I don't want to waste today by holding back anything that God wants to use in my life or those that I will meet along the way on this journey. We are not meant to go it alone. He uses our past and experiences to encourage others who are going through similar circumstances. I can't tell you how many people I have met that when I start to tell them my story they say,  "Me too!" and vice versa. It's so cool how He does that. 

Yes, goodbyes are never easy and I guess I would have to admit that hellos can be a little scary. But I am going into this next season with my guard down, willing and ready to say hello again to new neighbors, community, mommas at the local Target and Starbucks and trusting that one day I will be hugging them goodbye with tears in my eyes thankful that we had said hello in the first place. I think with all that is going on in the world today- we could all use a few more hellos again! 

- Pressing On



“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV


“For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”
1 John 3:11 



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