Long Goodbyes
(09.24.25)
When leaving there is never the right time to go in the Midwest we have the goodbyes where you say your goodbyes but you’re still there for another 20 — 30 minutes.
The ones where you’re with friends after absence has been present and you don’t want to end it
But you have to. Time has to go on.
When you’re in a work meeting and that one person asks questions that really really really REALLY don’t matter.
Holiday gatherings when you’ve been gone for awhile.
And then there was the goodbye with my mom. It started 2021 in February, where we talked about things and nothing and everything.
And it continued
Until each day
With updates
Of getting better
To
“She’s sick you need to come see her”
Get Andrew Farie’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
And we held hands
Not even sure we mother and son
Maybe strangers
Because how the dementia has changed her brain
Her memories
Maybe she remembered
Maybe not
Our goodbye concluded
I told her we would be okay
I told her it was okay
I told her I loved her
And we said our long goodbye
October 17th 2023
When it was over
