Short Stop: Time to Say Goodbye I Say Hello..

   "Don't be dismayed at goodbyes.  A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.  And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends."  ~Richard Bach

I had not seen our skater since Olympics, except for two very "parent-interruptis" moments in Chicago and again in Denver. This time, it was just the two of us as the Stars on Ice tour ended in Portland.

   Having your skater (aka: your child) grow up and move away is one thing. Having him or her grow up, move away and become a public figure in the process is something quite different. 

   Now, here I was in Portland, cherishing some quiet time with my son in the bowels of the Rose Garden Arena, away from the fans and the faithful, walking the hallways, quietly talking, laughing and trying to remember 2005; trying to remember a lot of years before that while speculating on the many years ahead. We discussed goals, aspirations, dreams while remembering some bygone times with the fondness that comes from a certain distance and convenient amnesia of the actual event. 

   The next morning, as we said our goodbyes at the airport and headed yet-again in different directions - he on vacation overseas and me back to work - it struck me that saying good-bye to the past is always difficult, but saying hello to the future is empowering.  Yes, certainly it is easy to shed some tears for what was. But in the long run, one must keep moving forward because the clock relentlessly and unforgivably moves forward. Time does not stop - and neither do we. The best we can do in life is "Carpe Diem" - seize the day - and always master the possibilities. 

   So, say "Hello" to the future. It is all we have to look forward to, and it is completely and undeniably defined by the goodbyes we have said in the past. What we learned along the way - and the friends we made in the process - that's what is timeless.