I Hate Goodbyes

Are goodbyes really that good?

This is a story about a little girl named Katie. Katie is about 6 years old and there is one thing that she hates the most…the very, very, VERY most in the world and that is….she HATES goodbyes!

She hates goodbyes so much that one day she decided to make all goodbyes disappear.

How is she going to do that???

One day, her daddy said ‘Goodbye Katie…I’m going to work now. I’ll see you later tonight.’

The moment Katie heard that yucky ‘goodbye’ word, she started singing on top of her voice ( “twinkle, twinkle, little star….”)….very, very loud so that she won’t be able to hear that yucky word.

One day, her grandma and grandpa said ‘Goodbye Katie..we’re off to go to America. Can you please give us a hug and kiss?’

Do you know what she did? The moment she heard that yucky ‘g’ word, she grabbed her teddy bear and started scolding him in a very loud voice.’Stupid, silly, naughty teddy bear!’ She scolded in a loud voice so that she won’t be able to hear that yucky word.

One day, her mummy said ‘Goodbye Katie…I’m going to a meeting in another town. I’ll buy you a present when I get back. What would you like?’

You know what Katie did? When she heard that yucky word, she started to find all the loose teeth in her mouth and she wiggled them very, very hard till it hurt. She thought that maybe by feeling ouchy, the yucky goodbye word will disappear.

But did the goodbye words REALLY disappear?

No….even though Katie sang very loud….daddy still said goodbye and went off to work. Even though she scolded teddy very loud, grandma and grandpa still said goodbye and went to America. Even though she wriggled every single loose teeth, mummy still said goodbye and went for her meeting.

Poor, poor, poor, poor Katie…she couldn’t make the yucky goodbye word disappear. All the goodbye words swam round and round in her head till one day, she just burst into tears.

She cried and cried…so much that maybe she filled a whole swimming pool with her tears.

Daddy gave her a big, big hug and told her ‘Katie…it’s OK to cry. Crying will make you feel better.’ He told her that she was not the only one who hates goodbyes. Daddy, mummy, grandpa and grandma all hate goodbyes. They all wish they could make goodbyes disappear forever and ever. They all wish they don’t have to say goodbyes to anyone because goodbyes make them feel sad.

Even if you sing in your loudest voice or wriggle all your loose teeth…we will still have to say that yucky goodbye word. But if we feel sad, it is OK to cry….it will make us feel better. There is something else we can think of that make us feel better. As Christians, we know that we will definitely see each other again….if not on this earth, we will meet again in heaven. So, we’re not saying the forever kind of goodbye….we’re just saying see you later, alligator!!!