August 3-8, 2011-Hail and Farewell Island...

     I live on a military base, even though over 90% of it is inhabited by civilian contractors, it is still run very much like military bases anywhere else in the world or the United States.  Living like a military family means we have to say goodbye to friends and co-workers quite often.  We usually have PCS (permanent change of station) parties for those leaving before they go, but sometimes we have what the military calls a “Hail and Farewell” to see those all-important VIP’s off the island and onto new adventures.  This week, I hosted a farewell dinner party at my home for my co-worker and our director, who is heading to Germany approximately a week from now. She has been here for almost 8 years and was not only a big part of my children’s preschool lives as a teacher and director at the child care center where they attended, she has also been a friend, supervisor, and now co-worker of mine for the past 4 years. She will be sorely missed at our facility and within our department, and I have to admit I am a bit envious of her ability to take off and start fresh in a place I’ve always wanted to go in Europe.  Mostly, though, I am very excited for her and wish her the very, very best!

       Farewells are a part of life here, but as we get ready to start a new school year, and my baby boys arrive back on island tomorrow, I am going to focus instead not on the sad goodbyes, but on the new adventures ahead, for all of us, on the island and off.  It may be farewell to one life, but it’s also welcome to another, farewell to one summer and school year and welcome to another…life is full of farewells on the island, but it is also full of “Iakwe” and “Aloha,” hello with love.