Saying goodbye

I realized this week that we have less than a month left in Albania. Exact travel dates haven't been set yet, but we're thinking that the kids and I will return to the US the first week in September (Terry will come a little later after wrapping up some projects here and closing down the apartment).

As TCKs, Terry and I have had a lot of experience with transitions like these, so we will need to draw on that wisdom for shepherding our kids through it. Even though Gabriel has really only known life in Albania - except for our 2-week trip to Akron - after a few years he won't remember this phase of our life as a family at all. And that's a really strange thought.

It's been a pleasure raising him from tiny baby to two-year-old here.

You'll be hearing more about this transition in the coming weeks, I'm sure. For now I want to share a song my sister and I used to sing over and over again when we were kids:

Saying goodbye, going away

Seems like goodbye's such a hard thing to say

Touching a hand, wondering why

It's time for saying goodbye

Saying goodbye, why is it sad?

Makes us remember the good times we've had

Much more to say, foolish to try

It's time for saying goodbye

Don’t want to leave, but we both know

Sometimes it's better to go

Somehow I know we'll meet again

Not sure quite where, and I don’t know just when

You're in my heart, so until then

Wanna smile, wanna cry

Saying goodbye

La la la la la la la la

It's time for saying goodbye