goodbyes

 why are some goodbyes more difficult than others? most are thoughtless and don't involve the heart or a second thought. then there are the sharp ones that are meant to convey anger, hurt, or bitterness. there are goodbyes that take effort to say because it will be a while before seeing someone again. and then there are the ones with so much weight on them, the mouth struggles to move to get the word out because saying it means accepting the inevitable. 

how does one word hold so much to it? two sylables. seven letters assigned to express a message that ends any previous correspondence. possibly till next time. till next year. or... till never again. 

it seems to me that the significance of the word and the weight behind it, depends on a few things. the distance of time, the depth the emotion in relation to the connection, and the length of time of the departure. 

yet, we decide these variables in the blink of an eye without ever really putting our mind to the math involved. the heart is the one that decides the equation.