I just left a funeral for a beautiful eighteen month child who lived in our neighborhood. An acute illness took her from us one night last week. So tragic. Little Eleanor was a bright light in every way. An absolutely gorgeous child.

This morning made me think about “good bye.” The words we share with each other when departing. When someone is moving away… an occasion when we might never see someone again. A farewell. There is always a feeling of closure, finality for me when I’ve shared “good bye” with another. You too?

Today’s “good bye” to little Eleanor was, as you can imagine, poignant, so moving. The loss and anguish felt by her parents reverberated through every pew, every person in attendance. “Good bye little Eleanor.” Closure. Just such a heartbreaking ending.

“Good Bye” This could be your child, my grandchild. No one was untouched by this tragic death. Today’s service felt like closure. A final good bye to a wonderful baby who as the presiding minister shared, “… never knew anything but love while she was with us.” Comforting for sure. But again. A good bye. An ending. Never to see dear Eleanor again.

Nancy and I were one of the older couples there this morning. Our “good byes” are more frequent and a bit different these days than what we experienced this morning.. My previous picture of “Good Bye” has shifted. As I’ve watched friends pass away? As I’ve left a place, a special event or time with a good friend? “Good Bye” now evokes a different feeling in me.

I looked up the origin of the expression “good bye.” Interestingly, it comes from the phrase, God be with you. … “Good bye… God be with you.” This pictured for me a sense of passage more than a vision of ending. A transition. Like stepping from this place into something next. One step to another. Verses a black and white ending like this morning. Picture falling off a cliff vs floating down a slow, free flowing stream. Good bye vs God be with you.

Auf wiedersehen … Ciao. Good byes in German and Italian? Germans say their good bye, meaning… “until our reunion, when we will meet again.” The Italians? Ciao is both the word for “good bye and hello” too! Transitory. No finality in either. So like the goodbyes we share. Like what I heard at the beautiful service for little Eleanor. Until we see her again. See each other again.

I’ve always said seeing life depends on the lens through which we view it. Good bye or God be with you. In truth… God waits for us. “In my Father’s house there are many mansions.” Our goodbye today is the step we’ll take someday … to join God in his heavenly kingdom. Never an end. As a dear friend of mine who recently told me just before he died, “Bobby, I’m not saying goodbye because this is really only the beginning.” He did so with a comforting smile. I’ll never forget the peace in his eyes.

A wonderful reality to embrace. Never a good bye. We will all meet again. Knowing God is with us, always.
God be with you and yours … always