The five stages of goodbyes

As there are five stages of grief as it is shown on the previous educational video, there are as well five stages of goodbyes. Which is the five different emotions that a person has before his/her departure from a country, from a experience, from a previuos life:

First Stage : The Decision

This is the stage when the individual itself has come to the decision and realization that he will depart from the place he currently is. The start of this stage its being determined basically by the acquistion of the plane/bus/boat ticket to the arrival place. During this stage the departure seems like in a distant future, something that will happen in matter of weeks or months, and that its not something important or a priority to take care. Life seems normal and unaltered during this stage.

Second Stage : The Advent

There are few weeks left, and now the departure seems like a close thing, is the time when the final arrangements are starting to be made and the goodbyes start in a soft and a mild way to a more intense right before the beginning of the third stage. Is the pre-goodbye parties time and all that kind of stuff. During this time the weeks, days and hours seem to be running out faster as when that person was living his normal life. Its safe to say that life as that person knew it its not longer existing. That person comes to the realization that in fact, he is leaving.

Third Stage : The Goodbye

Tears come and tissues go (depends on the gender/age/feeling intensity of that person of course) . This is the part when all the bye byes and see you soon are said. When the person packs his stuff, tie his loose ends and cuts short whats needed to be cut short. The farewell parties starts, the good wishes are said and most of it,the leaving person tries to promise to himself that he will try to meet with everyone one way or another, despite the fact that deep down he kind of know that he might not seem them again.

Fourth Stage : The Nostalgia

Now that person has left. The sadness feeling for giving up his previous life starts to kick in (also this depends how strong the connection with his previous life was and the feeling intensity of the person). Remembering the good, the bad, the bizarre times of the previous life. How things were and how in a way these kind of experience wont be able to happen on other places or in his life again..

This fact couldnt be more true, but that doesnt make it a bad thing or something to be sad about, and that person will realize that just as he enters on the last stage of goodbyes.

Fifth Stage : Acceptance

Life goes on. Those experience lived should be something to remember with a smile and not with nostalgia nor sadness. Because in the end that person comes to the realization that the uniqueness of any experience is what it makes it so unvaluable. The things lived wont happen again, and its good like that, otherwise they wouldnt be so meaningful, so valuable, so important. Life goes on for that person and for the people "left behind" . Communication can still be maintained, and something to be aware of is that, they will always remember him, and more specially, they will always be there for him. And one thing is sure, life sure gives some unexpected turns pretty often. So he might see them again, its not something too crazy to think of.


Me? Im right now on the third stage. I will get eventually to the fifth, sooner or later ;)


Adios/Bye/Szia!.