Music for Goodbyes

Each deployment and most long field trainings have had a song.

Bon Jovi’s “You Want to Make a Memory”



Breathe “Hands to Heaven”, where the lyrics are almost more important than the music because they ache.

www.lyricsdepot.com/breathe/hands-to-heaven.html

Richard Marx “Right Here Waiting”, which shows how long we've been saying goodbyes. (Hint-- ignore his hair.)




You get the idea.

So you would think I’d have a song for Sam. She’s not deploying, exactly, just finding her wings. Yet it feels like a deployment. She’s packing lots of stuff, she’s preparing for a place I can’t go, and there is a possibility of danger.

That’s the Mom in me coming out, I guess.

Perhaps Juice Newton’s “Sweetest Thing”. Because it’s true. loving her has been sweetest thing. The lyrics don't quite fit, but the tune of it does.

She’s my first baby, and some days I feel like I grew up with her because I was so young when she was born.

Perhaps “Unborn Heart” because I remember it playing when I heard I was pregnant with her. It's sung from the Dad's perspective but that's okay.




Or some Weird Al song, because so many road trips have been accompanied by his wacky lyrics.

The song “Go the Distance” from Hercules has always been a favorite of hers…

www.elyrics.net/read/d/disney-lyrics/i-can-go-the-distance-lyrics.html

Once Upon a December or Journey to the Past from Anastasia, because she loves that soundtrack.

Sometimes I think my entire adult life revolves around goodbyes of one sort or another.

I should be used to this by now. There are a lot of people who have the idea that being used to something difficult (such as deployments, field duty or even staff duty) means that makes it all better.

Nope, goodbye still sucks.

We always try to say “See you when I see you”. Or “Goodbye for now.” I know other families have their own ways to deal with something so constant.

I imagine in the next couple of days I’ll find that perfect song. And it will play in my head for a month. And perhaps I’ll tear up a little, but I’ll also be so excited for her. She’s going to do great things, I just know it.


By the way, if you have a song that makes you think of “goodbye” or “good luck” or even a parent watching their child grow up—share them, please! Hello songs are also very welcome. You can post them here, in comments, or share them on the new Facebook Page for Passages/Brink.