Why do we say goodbye(Informal) (essay)

A Story by Philip Choi

An informal writing on why do we say goodbye, it lacks structure and everything else. I intend to use it as a script for a YouTube video.

Goodbye, for better or for the worse, one never knows. However, humans all know that goodbye must eventually be said. Like it or not, it must be done. One probably knows this from the moment one meets someone. Nothing ever lasts forever.

Sometimes, goodbye is just a promise to meet again soon. One expects the other back. One does not even question his hope. What one forgets frequently is that such a goodbye can be for forever. Goodbye can be sudden, but one lives one’s entire life oblivious of that, until one really has to say goodbye.

A lot of time, one asks what is so good about goodbye. Goodbye makes one sad. Goodbye brings one to tears. It’s the greatest curse in the world to be forced to say the G-word.

In contrast, goodbye can also mean freedom. In a way, goodbye can be the most joyful word to say sometimes, yet it can be an excruciatingly painful thing to say. Goodbye is sometimes agreed, and many times cruelly forced onto us. And we all know how it feels like to be forced to say goodbye. When the universe goes against you and forces you to say goodbye, it hurts more than anything else. It hurts more than having your heart stabbed and torn.

Some justify saying goodbye by insisting we say goodbye to meet other people. That is not true. Meeting can be a byproduct of saying goodbye, but it cannot be the reason for it. Indeed, there are tons of people who refuse to meet again because saying goodbye hurt them so much. We say goodbye because we change. Everything changes. Love that seemed so strong may only last one summer and fall like an autumn leaf. One sees his parents dying on him, and then soon he is dying on the children he raised so dearly. You change, and other people change. Nothing lasts forever. Whether it is death or an accident, relationship cannot last forever.

For example, you say goodbye to be free of the shackle that is holding you down. You have changed and you realize that you must say goodbye to be free. In other cases, one is forced to say goodbye. This can be because the counterpart of you cease to love you, or because of death, or an accident. Whatever it may be, changes cause goodbye.

Change is the law of this universe. One great example of this is the stars. The universe is expanding, and it is predicted that it will expand forever. As the universe expands, point A in the universe gets infinitely far away from given point B. Imagine you plot a two point in a balloon. If you breathe in air into the balloon, the two points you plotted will get far away as the balloon expands. This means that nothing can be close together forever in the universe. Alas, everything is doomed to be separated into eternal solitude. The stars you are seeing right now will not be there for you forever. Actually, we are lucky that we had our heads up when there are still a lot of stars left for us. We will eventually have to depart with the stars. However, it is better to have been able to gaze into their beauty and then miss it than to have never known such thing and to have only known endless darkness.

In this way, stars are like humans. Stars will not be there for you forever, just like humans. You will eventually have to say goodbye to them, both to the stars and to humans.

Those who are happy to say goodbye should go out and look for the stars. They will eventually find many stars that will make them happy. For those whose tears won’t dry because they had to say goodbye to their star, remember that all stars are bound to go away from us. Also remember that time you had with your star will never be taken away. Be grateful for the fact that when you looked into the dark sky, you were lucky enough to find your star. The star is long gone now, but you are still here to remember it and pass on its light that it gave out. For those who are not forced to say goodbye yet, remember that you are lucky. Many people have looked up for the stars, but only darkness greeted them. You were lucky enough to find a star that greeted you with a smile, and made your life bright. Many have been forced to apart with their dearest stars, but you have not been yet. Appreciate every moment you have that you can gaze at your star. Your star won’t be there forever. When you say goodbye for a moment, realize that your star may be gone when you raise your head up again.

Well, friends, it’s goodbye for us too. Our goodbye shall be good, not sad or bad. Thank you for being with me, for I am not a star that is worth beholding.