I HATE to Say Goodbye

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

I am, by nature, a rather emotional person - probably owing as much to my artistic temperament as anything.  I used to cry at the drop of a hat, but have gotten better about that over the years.  I still have a tendency to choke up, however, when it comes to saying Goodbye to someone.  Today, at work, I had to do it twice.

Our associate pastor and his wife, who I have known and loved for four years, are moving on to their next responsibility, where he will be the senior pastor of his own church.  I will really miss being able to pop into his office to chat (or grumble), but they are only moving four miles away (as the crow flies), so it is not as though I will never see them again.  It will give me incentive to be more diligent in remembering to call my friend to make a lunch date to see her.  I am thrilled that he is going to have his own church, so the goodbyes to them were not really tinged with sorrow, but filled with expectancy and joy.

The other parting was much more difficult, particularly for me.  My choir accompanist, whom we have employed since last September, is leaving to move back to Rochester, NY.  She had just finished her Master's Degree in Piano Performance from Eastman School of Music, and had only been in Richmond a few weeks when I received her name from a contact and immediately hired her.  Her significant other has just finished a one-year appointment at Virginia Commonwealth University, and his doctoral degree at Eastman. He has been appointed to the faculty at Eastman, and they are returning there on July 1. 

I had no idea what to expect on the day when I met her, but was thrilled to find a gracious, lovely girl with unbelievable music skills.  I am a very shy person, and it can be difficult for me to open up to a new person, particularly if they are aggressive or loud.  We clicked as director and accompanist from the very beginning, and it was with great joy that we made music together over the course of this last year.  It was very hard today to say "Goodbye," but I did so with this sure knowledge in my heart - that the God who brought her into my life has now pointed her in another direction.  He who guides the stars in their courses will be with her as she follows His lead, just as He will be with me as I search for someone to fill our vacancy.  Godspeed, Cara.  You take a bit of my heart, and my prayers for the next step in your journey.