There’s a saying in French, “loin des yeux, loin du cœur”, which translates to "far from the eyes, far from the heart." This phrase drifted into my mind today as I watched Dependable Alex pack up his desk, preparing to move on to greener pastures. It’s funny how we often think these words are just a poetic way to express distance, but when you see a true friend leaving, they take on a whole new meaning.

Goodbyes have a way of sneaking up on us, don’t they? They’re never as simple as we’d like them to be. It’s as if, in that moment of parting, you’re losing a small piece of yourself, a fragment of your daily routine, a part of who you are. The truth is, goodbyes are hard. They force us to confront the reality that nothing lasts forever, not even the connections we hold so dear.

Dependable Alex was more than just a colleague; he was a true friend in every sense of the word. He was the steady rock in a storm, the familiar face that greeted you each morning with a smile that could turn the worst of days into a breeze. You could count on him to show up, to listen, to care. He was that reassuring presence, the one who didn’t need to say much to make everything feel a little bit more okay. And now, as I see his empty desk, I can’t help but feel that something precious is slipping away.

When people we love and cherish leave, they take a piece of us with them. It’s not just the physical absence we mourn, but the part of ourselves that we shared with them. Every meaningful relationship we have is like a tapestry, woven with threads of shared experiences, emotions, and memories. When a true friend departs, it’s as if a thread is pulled from that tapestry, leaving behind a space that can never be fully mended.

In a way, we invest pieces of our hearts in those we care about. We give them our time, our energy, our laughter, and our tears. We share with them our challenges, our successes, and the moments that make us who we are. These aren’t just fleeting exchanges; they’re fragments of our soul, gifts that we offer in the hope that they’ll be cherished and reciprocated. When these people go, they take those pieces with them, leaving us feeling a little emptier, a little more vulnerable.

It’s like handing over a part of your soul, knowing you’ll never quite get it back in the same way. There’s a certain permanence to it—those pieces don’t return to us unchanged. They come back as memories, as lessons learned, or sometimes, they don’t come back at all, remaining forever with the person who left. And that’s the paradox of friendship and connection: we give parts of ourselves freely, knowing that loss is a possibility, and yet we do it anyway, because the connections we form are worth the risk.

But perhaps that’s why these connections are so meaningful—because they leave us forever changed. Each person who passes through our lives shapes us in some way. They leave imprints on our hearts, teach us new ways of seeing the world, and help us grow into the people we’re meant to become. Even in their absence, they continue to influence us, through the wisdom they imparted, the comfort they offered, or the challenges they presented. We carry these pieces with us, woven into the fabric of our being, long after they’ve moved on.

In the end, it’s this transformation that makes these connections so valuable. They show us that we’re not alone, that our lives are intertwined with others in ways both seen and unseen. And while it may be painful when a true friend leaves, the pieces they take with them serve as a reminder of the depth of our bond and the richness of the experiences we shared. These are the pieces that make us who we are, and though they may leave us feeling incomplete for a time, they also leave us with the knowledge that we have loved deeply, and that is a gift that endures.

So, here’s to Dependable Alex, and to all the true friends who have been there for us, even in the smallest ways. May we cherish these moments, these connections, because, as much as it hurts to say goodbye, it’s a reminder of how much they meant to us and how much we’ve grown through them.

Today's Wisdom

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

— A.A. Milne, (Winnie the Pooh)

This saying from one of my favorite childhood stories encapsulated exactly how I am feeling today. "Winnie the Pooh" was more than just a tale of a bear and his friends—it was a gentle reminder of the beauty and pain that comes with deep connections. Today, as I bid farewell to Dependable Alex, this quote feels especially appropriate. It reminds me that the difficulty of saying goodbye is a testament to the richness of the bond we shared. It’s a bittersweet acknowledgment that while farewells are hard, they are only so because what we had was truly special.

Remember, keep whispering your truth—because it’s in those whispers that true friends remain close, even after goodbye.

Leila ❤️