'Those Terrible Goodbyes'

We've been together forever, or so it seems

But now we're apart, with no way to be together

We know each other’s secrets that we will keep for a life time

Throughout all the pain and troubles we will overcome

Being apart will be the hardest thing we've ever done

We'll fight to the finish for us to be together again

Even though we aren't together now

We'll make the best of it throughout time

We know that it is going to be tough

But we are willing to fight for our friendship

Life is going to be difficult when we are apart

But life will be better as soon as we are together again

We have known that we will have to be apart

But now that the day has come, we are not ready

We are not ready to say our goodbyes

To watch us separate with no way to fight 

Finally as we realize that our time has come

We say our final goodbyes, but hopefully not for long

We always hope and pray for the days that we will reunite

But hope that we will never again have to say those terrible goodbyes

Farewells are such a central theme in The Year of Goodbyes. This poem from 14-year-old Taylor Wilson of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, really captures the emotion behind that theme.  Thank you, Taylor, for honoring "those terrible goodbyes."