saying goodbye

as one who has wandered all his life, you would think i had grown accustomed to good byes. i have said literally thousands of goodbyes to hundreds of people from Texas to Asia to Africa to Europe; always being the one who was leaving, with the exception of saying goodbye to my first born daughter on the occasion of her mission trips. and now, just a few days after Christmas, saying goodbye to my younger daughter leaving on her African adventure with World Teach. i know she will come back better for the adventure and those she touches will certainly be enriched, but as a parent it is always hard to say goodbye to a child no matter the age or how brief the gone away time. the good thing, in the end, is saying hello! so until that day in the not so distant future, i will be on my knees.