saying goodbye

Saying goodbyes has never been easy.

Like when you've been using that old pillow of yours which smells like sweat, mixed with hair gel, mixed with that bottle of cologne you dropped on it, mixed with your smelly feet that you forgot to wash the other night, mixed with your nasi-lemak-ayam-rendang tambah kari ikan breathe, mixed with god-knows-what-else-you-had-for-dinner.

And you know its time has come. It ain't a pillow anymore. Juz a lumpy piece of cloth which somehow carries a lot of sentimental value. But you just can't get yourself to throw it away.

That's just a pillow.

To me, saying goodbye at airports is one of the hardest things to do. Especially when that person leaving means a lot to you. A family member migrates overseas. Your best friend leaves to further his/her studies. Sounds familiar?

The thing is, most of the time, its difficult to face the reality of a person leaving ... till they actually leave. He/she takes the escalator down, walks to the counter, certifies the passport, walks past the gate and turns around to have one last look before moving out of sight. What's left are just memories, of both the good and bad times.

Call it "denial", but I'm sure we all know what that feels like.

So what do we hold on to?

Someone said ... its not "Goodbye" ... its "See You Soon!!"

That's what I'm holding on to.