“Hellos and goodbyes are very important. You can get away with murder in between, but hellos and goodbyes are important.”

A young psychiatrist told me this a long time ago when we were both employed at a children’s mental health agency.

Yes, hellos and goodbyes are important. As a society, we mark beginnings and endings with all manner of rituals. Weddings, funerals, christenings, the first day of school, the first day on-the-job, retirement parties, graduations — these are all ritualized beginnings and endings, celebrations of hellos and goodbyes.

The daily grind of jobs and school and marriages make up the middle where the supposed getting away with murder occurs. It’s at this point where I start to disagree. After all, if you don’t take care of the ‘middle’, the best ‘hello’ in the world won’t matter, and your ‘goodbye’ could turn into a ‘good riddance’.

When it comes right down to it, aren’t the hellos, the goodbyes, and the middle all equally important?

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog.  Your comments, questions, ideas and suggestions are always welcome.  You can comment here, or choose between Facebook, Twitter, or the contact button.  

Anne Milne is an every Sunday blogger.  I keep it short and to the point.  Topics are as wide ranging as a straight but not narrow path.