Running Goodbye 1

The true beauty about a "Goodbye" is not the actual moment, but it is the blood, sweat, and tears that go into that moment. "Goodbye." How special are you going to make it?

How much effort are you going to make to get to that person?

When it comes to a goodbye it's titled "Running Goodbye" because all the running you do just to say "Goodbye."
This is not for your own benefit rather it's to serve the purpose of closure for that person.  It's to show that you took the time to find them and wish them a blessing, a take care, or a good luck. You have made a personal effort to wish them farewell and THIS is meaningful to these souls. 



Overtime, I was not always great at "goodbye." I had interpersonal relationships end with goodbye, I did not have the right closure with a client, or I didn't put that extra effort to reach someone.  With every single experience, we learn and with that poor goodbye hopefully comes a better one. 
From my early twenties to now my early 30s, I have experienced wonderful growth and gaining knowledge on how important closure can be for a person. It's a moment that two people should always have together leaving that person feeling hopeful and in peace. 

When it comes to this trip in Central America, each city encountered the Running Goodbye. I made every effort to inform people of my short time stay, I made a greater effort to make that time special, and I took the time to give a personal goodbye.  There are always those cases where someone is sick, on a different schedule, in a different location, or just absent that last day. You focus on those that are present and know you did your best.

This may all seem like one big question mark.
"Well don't we just say bye to the tourists, the volunteers, the Director and maybe some locals working at the school?"
This is not what the Running Goodbye means.  It's about
saying goodbye to a local culture, which you should me interacting with and learning from.  It's about saying bye to the man at the bodega near your accommodation, the girl selling ice cream, the man packing up his horse each day, the single mom who is cleaning the floors at the place you get your juice, the people behind the counters, the janitor at your placement, the security guard at the bank, and the man shining shoes. The list goes on and on, but these real human beings of the culture you are exploring deserve the acknowledgement and attention. 


 Of course, they deserve a hello and a conversation first followed by a goodbye.  It's not just a few people I am saying goodbye to rather I am saying goodbye to a city. I am running around trying to get to everyone in one to two days. Then I am sitting on the bus thinking, " I wish I got to say goodbye to Sister Francis."

When you meet and discuss with people from the street each and everyday, there are so many people that don't get a goodbye.  The one thing they do get is your presence.  They get to feel his spirit, exchange positive words, lend an ear for listening, feel encouraged or inspired, or again just given the attention is enough.  Sometimes the job is just done with attention, sometimes it requires a bit more effort, and sometimes the interaction is just a one time thing.  Personally, I know those people that I should be having closure with and leaving them with positivity and some inspiration. From up above, it's clear who I should be giving my time to, who needs that recognition, and who needs that closure. 

When it comes to goodbye, be conscious of how much it can truly mean to a person and how simple it actually can be.  Running around may not need to occur, but think of the effort you put into running. That effort could be how much you care about a culture and city. 

The Undesired Goodbye

The last stop of my volunteering was at a local village near the library. This was the only village area that Brain Spaces worked with and it was clearly the cutest.  There was one school that was just a hut with a few wooden desks and a chalkboard. Of course they made it like a regular school with all the students work hung up all around. There were two teachers that would teach the morning and afternoon shifts. The children ranged from 5 to 8.

Their eagerness to participate and be heard was adorable. It was clear a few of them had severe behavioral problems, but the teachers would work with them without using a stick. They were asked to go the corner or given verbal prompts to follow along. It was clear the teachers cared and they weren't burnt out hating their job.

 After I spoke with the one teacher, Miss Maria. When I told her my experience, she was so happy to meet me. She asked me, "How long are you staying with us?" "Can you stay for the rest of summer?

 These questions always break my heart.  Especially when I learned that her school was specifically made for kids with behavioral problem( my place to work). Many children suffer from parents of domestic abuse; alcoholism(big problem in the villages), physical abuse, and some special needs. It was clear there were some emotional problems with the kids i.e. those who held on to my leg or were very quiet in class.

Realistically, I should stay for the rest of summer, but I had made other  and the fact that Roatan is a bit expensive for long term stay. Then she said,
"Maybe you could do a study here"?

 That was the smartest things that someone  could say to me.  Why not do a formal study rather than just write about it? This is definitely a great long term idea. A true research study to write about and share with others.

After class, I went to the bus where there was a man making mango jelly. When I asked him, he said it takes three hours to make. He let me try it and taste it and all the kids came running over to also taste it. Just a normal day for the guys making jelly and drinking a beer. They said they make all kinds of jelly depending on the fruit they have, but mango is really the best.

 In the small shop next door his wife was making him lunch. I was talking with her telling her what I tell everyone, "The best food comes from the home." I walked away and I came back to see a plate on the counter. She points at it and then points to me. I told her "thank you, but I'm fine I just had lunch." She insists and I can't decline and be rude. I accept and enter into food heaven with some coconut crunch fish, rice and beans, and plantains.

My jelly buddy said, "Did you just eat my lunch?" My mouth opens wide.  "She gave me your lunch?" He says," It's okay I would rather you enjoy it."
(This is how kind these people truly are and how sincere. They have nothing, but they want to give you everything). These villages melt my heart and leaving these people was like leaving family.

God bless this village. May they be watched over and cared for in their challenges, struggles, and darkest days.