It's been a belief of mine, for some time now, that 'goodbye' has to it a ring of finality. To say goodbye means, I shall never see you again. I don't think I've said goodbye to anyone for a long time. It was something that I'd picked up from a friend, back when I was in high school. This friend, when parting from anyone, would always say, 'Later'. When I asked him why, his response was 'I don't like goodbyes'.
I don't say goodbye anymore because I believe it's too final. Will I not see you tomorrow or some time in the future? When I leave a place, I don't say goodbye to the people I know because I truly believe that I will see them again, one day.
As a Catholic, I believe that even in death, we do not say goodbye. The belief in life after death is instilled deep in my roots. Death is the beginning of a journey to the final judgement. On the last day, we shall all meet again. So, goodbye, to me, is an inappropriate parting gesture. If I let myself believe that I will never see or speak with you again, what is the point of saying I believe in eternal life? If there's nothing to look forward to, why keep going?
So, if I fail to say 'Goodbye' at the end of a conversation, don't think I'm being rude. Instead, know that I look forward to meeting you again one day. Take it as a compliment.
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