No one enjoys saying goodbye. Some people act curt, a quick 'see you later' or a simple wave. It makes them feel better, playing it off like it's going to be a brief absence or so unimportant that sorrow need not be spent.
The people more in touch with their emotions do the hugs, the kisses, the tears. They leave their minds to dwell on the ideas of permanent goodbyes. They weigh each broken relationship they had, the good relationships they've left, the possible ones they've put on the back burner. This is a process that spans through the many days of wait and anticipation, looking towards a future of mental and physical struggle. Of exciting events and scary scenarios. It's a whirlwind of tragedy and tension.
Saying goodbye is an inevitable, with that whole mortality thing all about. Terribly annoying songs have been sung about it (The Sound of Music), lengthy books have been written about it. Mostly for preschoolers, but still they exist.
Myself, I like to find the middle ground. It'd be ignorant for me to play this off like it's no big thing. Twelve months is no laughing matter, it's an awfully long time to be away from any people you've grown close to, especially loved ones. When you throw in the aspect of danger, well it certainly complicates things. I suppose it's the reason you grow close to your fellow soldiers, the men and women you spend the next tumultuous year with. As a whole, it seems queer to live a life of recluse, with no emotional and personal connection. Not that people don't do it, but it isn't a reflexive act by humans.
Likewise, I find it ridiculous to mentally collapse with drama over a simple goodbye. Every goodbye could be a last goodbye, that's the nature of life. You could hunker down in your home hour after hour, through your whole life and the damn roof could one day collapse. It's not safe by nature, regardless of the comfort you find at your home. It's a ridiculously effed out theory, but has more meaning in such a situation.
Let me say this. I've said goodbyes plenty in my life, I've said permanent ones and temporary ones. I've spent a lot of time throughout my life leaving people and coming back. I suppose it's a process that becomes easier through time.
I'm not saying I've got this perfect farewell, down to a T. But it works for me, and I'd like to think it works for my loved ones. It's awfully easy, regardless of the person, to slowly just forget about someone. Not in a terrible, 'oh yeah, I've got a brother!' kind of way, but more getting used to a person's absence.
Think about the goodbyes you have. The worst part of all reunions is the inevitable end. It could be as simple as "Love Ya Bye!" or as complicated as a ten minute adieu, a quick recap of the weekend you had together and the plans for the next time. It's a strange ritual, in a animal sense. The things that separate us from the rest of life...
Keep on keeping on.
