Come and Go

Hi friends!

Today’s journal theme is about coming and going.

I often think that life is made up of moments of arrival and departure, people come, situations come, opportunities come, and then, slowly, everything fades away, leaving an empty space where comfort used to live. I didn’t really understand how to deal with that kind of change when I was younger. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that every goodbye carries a lesson, even if it often comes wrapped in pain.

I still remember my very first experience of loss. I was a child, and someone I loved dearly suddenly disappeared. I didn’t know how to express what I felt. I just cried as hard as I could, confused about why something that felt so safe could suddenly vanish. Looking back, I think that was the first time I learned that nothing in life is truly permanent, even the things we love most can slip away when we least expect it.

Time went on. I grew up, met new people, and built friendships that filled my days with laughter and meaning. In college, I had a small circle of friends who felt like family. We studied together, shared stories, and helped each other survive stressful times. But then, one by one, they started to leave, some got married, some moved to different cities, others got busy with work. I was left alone to finish the remaining paperwork at campus, doing things we used to do together. It felt strange, walking the same paths but without their laughter beside me.

Then came working life. I entered new environments, met new people, and built new routines. I once moved to a different city for work, I resigned, said goodbye to my colleagues, then eventually returned to my hometown to start over again.

By that point, I understood something important, not everything we love is meant to stay. Some things are meant to be appreciated for the time they exist, and that’s enough.

Now, I’ve been working in my current office for about six months. I’ve met wonderful people here, the kind who make everyday routines a little lighter. We share lunches, small talks, and laughter that makes deadlines feel less heavy. But once again, life’s rhythm of coming and going shows up.

One of my closest friends at work is getting married, to someone from another country. She’ll soon be moving abroad to start a new chapter of her life. I’m genuinely happy for her, but I know I’ll miss her presence, her warmth, her stories, her small jokes between tasks.

The older I get, the more I realize that not every goodbye deserves sorrow. Some people come into our lives to teach us something, and when the lesson is complete, they move on. Some arrive to help us grow, and some stay, even when distance separates us, because hearts have their own way of staying connected.

And whenever I feel that familiar ache of losing someone, I remind myself, I too have been someone who arrived and left in another person’s story. Maybe I’ve been someone’s temporary comfort, just as others have been mine.

That’s how life flows, we all take turns being part of each other’s chapters, until the story demands we move forward.

Now, I’m no longer afraid of people leaving. I’ve learned to see it as part of the journey, a sign that I’m growing, evolving, and still moving forward. Because in the end, life isn’t really about who stays the longest; it’s about who shows up sincerely, even if only for a while.

Perhaps that’s how the universe keeps its balance, some people come to bring color, others leave to make space. And in between those moments, we learn to accept, to let go, and to keep walking with a peaceful heart.