even the good things hurt.

They said it was time to say goodbye. But how do you say goodbye with so many hello's still resonating in your throat? Waiting to be spoken. They said it was time to say goodbye. And, now you are forced to swallow hard. Choke back the hello's you will never get a chance to say. At least, not today.

They said it was time to say goodbye. You hear the words but they don't seem to make sense in your mind. You can still see the face. You can still hear the voice. You can still replay the last conversation you had in your head. Real only yesterday. Yours, a part of you. Now, gone. They said it was time to say goodbye. You listen but you don't react. Not yet.

Once you face the music, you'll introduce a heartbreaking chorus that will never fade...

They tell you to remember the good times. The memories. The laughter. The moments that only you witnessed. The things that no one else knew. The conversations you shared. They tell you to remember the good times. But even the good things hurt. And healing takes time. You've been here before. And it doesn't get easier. Time doesn't heal wounds. Instead, the pain just seems to pile on top of each other until you're sure you'll be buried alive. They tell you to remember the good times. But, how do you do that when you're struggling to simply keep breathing.

They tell you to remember the good times. Easier said than done. And where do you go from here? Every day, from here on out, will never be the same. A piece of you is gone. A part of your identity stripped away without even a reasonable explanation.

Death came. Death came to steal a life. Death won.

They tell you there is more than just this life. Death may have won the battle, but God wins the war. And with the victory He brings to you a purpose. A reason. Even if you can't see it. Even if it doesn't make sense. Even though it's not today, there will still be a hello you have yet to say. God was ready to have His child back in arms. And your time here is not complete.

So live on, and remember this. It's not goodbye. Only, see you later. And hope is not lost. If anything, God has given you more hope than you can ever imagine - the promise of eternal life, forever, joined together with the ones you have lost, the ones you will see again someday.

They said it was time to say goodbye. So say it, for now. Until you meet again.