I have just finished writing the final chapter of Ægir’s Bride. It is a poignant good-bye as Kirsty’s men take back to the sea. I am reminded of Shakespeare’s quote…”Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
And this scene from Armageddon…
One of the hardest things for my Aspie (Asperger’s/autistic) nine year old daughter is saying ‘good-bye.’ For the longest time, she would simply run off without doing it…no matter how hard I tried to get her to. These days she has her own tradition. It is called the ‘leg game.’ If she likes you, then you are obligated to play it as you leave. She wraps herself around your leg. Her little arms about your knees and her legs about your ankle. Then it is a matter of pulling her off while you try to shake or pull your leg back. It is comical at times. Especially when she demands a ‘do-over’ because you or I did not follow her rules…no tickling, no shaking…and they are getting progressively higher standards…to the point that sometimes it is impossible. Usually it takes two or three goes to get out the door. But it is only way this child can transition without one of her meltdowns.
It is just a reminder that whether it is saying good-bye to a friend that you have not seen for a while at the pub…seeing the person you love off at the airport…or the worst of all that final farewell of death and funerals like the centerpiece of My Country Tis of Thee…good-byes are always difficult. No matter how many times you say them. And Kirsty is just beginning to learn that lesson.
What is your best or worst good-bye?
Tara Cox - Literary Erotica 