spring brings...

some sunshine, allergies, a few farewells, a much anticipated visit, and a trip to Italy.

This weekend started out with a colleague's leaving do on Friday night. Jo and I work for different organisations but together we were running a partnership training programme. I worked closely with her for eight months but she has now decided to take some time off for maternal reasons.

Saturday afternoon, I went to Julie L's leaving do at The Old Ship in Hammersmith. She's heading back to Vancouver after close to three years in London. She moved to London a year before I did and has been a principle character in my London experience. Although I know that I could expect to see her again in Vancouver, our last hug and well wishes were still difficult and sad. I am gutted she's leaving.

I left Julie's leaving do early because the smoke in the pub started aggravating my already highly active spring allergies and on my way home, I realised another friend who I met in London, Jon L, was moving back to the Philippines at the end of April and that last night would have been my last chance to see him. We arranged to meet for dinner close to London Bridge and again, I offered a farewell.

So far, this weekend has been a string of partings.

This morning at church was no different. One of the ministers celebrated his last day with the congregation today. Departure blessings were offered during the service and once again another farewell.

Spring seems to bring the 'move on'. It's a weekend of endings.

I don't think I've ever had to bid adieu as many times as I have in the past two years (and never so much in one weekend either!). Farewell is something I am better able to anticipate and accept but I don't think it's less affective. No matter how imminent it is, when the time comes, it often is difficult. But comings and goings also make those times of meeting ever more sweet.

Tomorrow I will be at Heathrow airport. Fortunately instead of another farewell, I will be welcoming Rick to London. He will barely have enough time to take a nap in London before we zoom off to Italy - Venice, Tuscany and Cinque Terre. Though brief, I look forward to these two weeks of his good company, warm weather (hopefully), lots of Claritin, and Italian scenery.

It'll be a sweet two weeks and another bittersweet farewell.