Everything comes to an end. It’s the natural order of things — a looming inevitability, constantly plaguing the beauty of the present. Goodbyes are our solution to this problem. A way to mark the transition from middle to end. To come to terms with the ever-changing nature of our lives.
Sometimes, goodbyes are about control. Choosing when to leave or what we wish to remember. A practice in intentional living. Other times, they’re about release. Letting go of something, letting nature run its course. A powerful way of closing a chapter.
Often, they’re rushed. A quick “bye” as you run out the door, a wave from the other side of the street. A realization that this may be the last time you see someone, but still the words just won’t come.
In the Goodbyes B-Side, Michigan Daily Arts writers search for those final words. They find the art that guides them through a parting or keeps them from leaving. They reminisce, relive and relinquish.
Let me be the first to welcome you to the Goodbyes B-Side. But I’ll let each of the writers say their own goodbye.
Senior Arts Editor Ian Gallmore can be reached at gallmore@umich.edu.
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