Read this: "
June Goodbyes" by Donna Gorman
I wasn't there. I left at about 8 p.m. knowing full well that some of the closest friends I've had here were leaving in the morning. Mature person that I am, I left in a huff, annoyed at some small thing that Ian did, a cover for feeling anxious about the other emotions about to spill out and wanting to get away from them as quickly as possible. Ian got home late, being the awesome dad he is, allowing Nicholas to get to the very last available minute with one of his closest friends. The report back says there were many many.. many tears. I'm positive I wouldn't have handled my own sadness gracefully, much less my son's.
Theirs was the first departure of the "village," the group, the ones I hung out with. We came late to the game, having only worked our way in a year ago with these folks, and now they're gone.
Most of the rest are very soon to follow... one on Monday, another on Tuesday, another on Thursday...
Another friend said it so aptly - this is the first post we've had that's been about
us. Not purely about our kids as it's been up until now, but us and our friendships, our fun, our opportunity to spend time with people we really like.
For me, that's what makes this June so much harder than the rest. Come July I'll look about me and feel lost in this desert. There are some others out there, don't get me wrong, but I wonder if it'll take another year to find my village again.
And they're off. All of them. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, the last of the departees from our village will be gone, and so far I'm doing all right. I'm doing all right because right now it's Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. and I'm normally in my PJs at this time, considering sleep. I'm doing all right because I haven't hit the points in a week where I'd expect to see them and felt them missing. 
Katie was the next to depart on Tuesday. We didn't really become friends until about 8 months ago. For some reason she felt hard to get to know, but one day, it just clicked. She and Donna taught me that doing something hard can also be done gracefully. Both of them completed a year, unaccompanied, living in a foreign land with their FS family for support. Katie is strong and compassionate, and I'm so happy to know her. 
Maddy left on Wednesday and it wasn't until I started working that we got to know each other. She plays a mean game of Cards Against Humanity and she taught me that finding joy in the small things and letting out laughter that spreads joy to those around is truly a gift. 
Tomorrow morning, the last departs. Justina and Jenna worked together, and thereby worked with me, and I won't forget how kind and helpful and open she has always been. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, but didn't sink under them. I'm grateful she reinforced that making the right choice is always worth it, even when that decision isn't always the popular one.
