Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye has been a big part of my life lately. I have always had hard times saying goodbye, and many times, as is the case with the present circumstances, I find the impact of saying goodbye is a delayed one.
Obviously, saying goodbye to my Mom and grasping for the day to day implications of her death has been a huge deal, one that I'm truly just beginning to realize the full impact. It's been a tough couple of weeks realizing those implications. The difference, although not a daily difference, has been one that has kept me from being as productive at work as I should be. I've found myself losing concentration and recalling certain times and moments of my Mom's life - especially the times she had with my kids. I do find it interesting that there are more memories right now of her with my kids than memories of her and me. Perhaps it's just the fact that so much of my life, her life and our lives together has been centered around them.
The goodbyes also came fast and furious with a good friend of mine this past week. He has been a good friend of mine since he came to St. Louis, and I (and Julie) are sad to see him and his family leaving. We had the opportunity to develop a great friendship, and he was a good teacher to me about some issues that we had with Katherine a few years back. He was very encouraging and supportive of all the things we did to help her. I am very thankful for that.
More than that, I am thankful for the friendship and the group of friends that he is (not was, but IS) a part of.
I stumbled across this song and video on iTunes, and it seems to again convey a lot of the thoughts I've had as I think back on this friendship and on the relationship I shared with my Mom. I've been reminded of the temporary nature of life and relationships. I've been reminded that you never know the last time of something has happened until it's over - makes you want to make the most of every day.