Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

To my son Tommy,

    Downeys Downeys everywhere.  Maryland has been invaded by Downey family members.  From New Mexico, from Ohio, from Pennsylvania, we have had some relatives visiting this week and into next. We spent yesterday at your Grandmom Ro-ro's house enjoying the company.

    You and your cousin Liam (2nd cousin if you wan't to be technical but lets not get into the genealogy lesson) have taken to each other like best of friends.  Just 1 month or so apart in age, you guys are getting along famously.  In fact, you get along and get comfortable quickly with all the Downey family members.  Who knows why that is?  Perhaps it is some type of blood connection, perhaps it is just that we have familiar attitudes and familiar way of doing things, or perhaps it is because we don't judge you if you have your finger picking your nose.  Point is, it is great to see you having time to spend and love your family.  Like I alluded to previously, family is everything.

   These past two days highlighted a quirky trait about you.  You have a dread of saying goodbye and real sorrow when you have to leave.  You definitely don't want the party to end.  You cry and have to go around and give tearful hugs and "See ya laters" to everyone.  You can't miss a single person.  It is like you are afraid you will miss something when you leave, or worried that you will never see each other again.

    It is actually quite an admirable trait that you have such feelings for your family and such sorrow.  But you have to learn this is just one of the smaller circles of life.  The cycle is you meet, you rejoice, you share, you part, your feel sorrow, you wait you meet again, and the whole thing begins anew.  You have to learn to deal with the pain and sweet sorrow of saying goodbye.  You have to have faith and hope that we will see each other soon yet again.  These small circles of life are just the way to deal with the whole big life cycle.  Every time you have to go through this, you are readying yourself for the big circle, practicing for the final goodbyes and having faith that we will all meet in Heaven.

    So embrace the goodbye as much as you do the anticipation and enjoyment of the hello.  If it makes you sad, go ahead and cry, but have faith that you all will soon rejoin.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo