Farewell

Everybody on this voyage has been moved.
Obviously, the ship has moved us all around the world,
but movement has occurred on other levels.
There is the kind that sends you reeling when a swell rocks the ship,
and the kind that sends you reeling when you see that someone from across the room.
Sometimes there is that extra movement in your roommate's bed.

My most moving experience came in India,
but it had nothing to do with the planes, trains or automobiles I traveled in.
I was not moving at all; I was in fact waiting for my train to arrive.
I was reflecting on the previous four days in India
and observing the children who had been begging for food.
I was amazed to see that they were sharing with each other,
equally dividing up all of the goods.
They even gave food to the stray dog that was following them around.
Behind them the sky was lighting up in a brilliant tone of orange
as the sun began its decent.

I was somewhat entranced by the scene, and startled when someone grabbed my hand.
It was one of the children I was observing.
Before I could motion that I had nothing to give to her,
I noticed she had a beaming smile on her face as she held my hand.
She then said, "Thank you! Goodbye!" and scampered back to her friends.

Happiness is so simple.
I was completely taken aback by those words.
I cannot think of many things that have hit me so hard.
I didn't even notice that my train had arrived.
As I boarded, I kept replaying the event.
Then I heard the other children, echoing those words, plus one.
"Thank you! Goodbye! Hello!"
Maybe it was all they knew, or maybe they meant it,
but since then, those 3 lines have reverberated in my head many times,
especially towards the end of the voyage.
Think about it; they sum up to a perfect farewell message.
As one thing ends, the next begins.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Hello.