SAYING GOODBYES

UNEDITED SAMPLE LITERARY ARTICLE
By Jezel Christine Nolasco Quevada
IV - Madame Marie Curie


Have you ever tried saying good bye to someone you really love? Have you parted ways to someone you have shared most of your life with? Well if you did, I just know exactly what you feel. Saying goodbyes and farewells might be easy but the truth is, it really hurts. It is painful to say these words especially when you know that it would take years before you see each other again or perhaps, you would see each other no more.

There are a lot of people whom I spent my life with already. Most of them became really close to my heart and left a mark on my being. They all contributed to who I am today. Without them, I would be nothing. I enjoyed living with them and I know that I would be terribly sad if they are gone.

When I was a child, I thought that life was just a bed of roses. I thought that it was only full of joy and happy endings like the fairy tales. I thought happiness will never fade and the people you are with will never leave. Never did I realize how imperfect it was. Never did I think of the sorrows and pains it could bring. All I know was that it was full of thrills and fun.

Not so long after that, my perceptions about life changed. I became older and little by little, I experienced pain. God proved me that life is imperfect at a very young age. I got so sick when I was seven and the doctors could not detect what my sickness was. They thought I was going to die. My mom would always hug me so tight and kiss me. She would also tell me, “Magpaggaling ka na ha? I’ll buy you you’re favourite pizza pag magaling ka na.” These made me confused. I do not know why she would tell me to get well because I do not feel sick. At night, I would often times hear her silent cries.

One night, I pretend to be sleeping when a doctor entered my room. She was accompanied by many other doctors. She looked at me and checked if I was already well. Then, I heard her say, “Hindi naming malaman ang sakit ni Jezel. She might have been infected by dengue. She’s in a terrible condition.” Right then, I realized why my mom kept on reminding me to get well. I might die. I was so scared that time but I did not tell anyone that I already knew about my condition. Surprisingly, the results of my tests and diagnosis came. I was infected by a virus and nothing more. I did not have dengue and I would not die.

God spared my life but took somebody else’s. The doctor said that they thought I was the girl at the next room who had dengue. I do not know what to feel. The girl who was infected was smaller than I. I always see her smiling at me. She was so friendly. But unfortunately, God took her life. I saw how her mom cried and bid her last farewell. That was the first time I felt pain because of goodbyes. There was like a sharp thing stabbing my heart that made me cry. I then realized that if God did not spare me, my mom would be the one bidding goodbye to me. I also grasp the idea of goodbyes that time. I learned how painful it was to lose an important person in your life.

After that event, my life became like a vehicle where people come and go. Not so long after I became too close to somebody, he will surely leave. Most of my best friends leave me and I was forced to say goodbye. Because of this, I got afraid to meet people and be close to them already. I started to become idle and a loner. I would usually be silent at one place where I know no one.

One day, I was so lonely. Someone approached me and asked why I was alone. She then told me a very special story. It was about the death of her grandma. I was moved by her story. She made me realized that not all goodbyes meant forever. For sure, the right time will come when each of us will meet again and will be apart no more. God made goodbyes for us to value those who are still with us and learn to be independent.

I know now that we should not be afraid of goodbyes. Though there is still a part of me which is anxious to get close to people, I now make friends to bunch of people. I now know how to appreciate goodbyes. Yes, it is painful but they are just made for us to know that it is now time to meet new people. Goodbyes help us grow. I realized that God made everyone with a special purpose so do not expect them to be with you always. Yes, they are not with you physically, but they will always be with you in your heart.