Adjusting

Losing someone is always hard. People move, start a new chapter of their lives. And sometimes they never come back.
Throughout my life I’ve had to deal with this. What has helped up till now is that I know it’s not a true goodbye. I will see them again relatively soon. It may be a couple years, but there will be phone calls and emails until then. That and all my goodbyes have been to friends. Not once have I had to learn to adjust to life without an adult that I respect and love.

I work at a church as a youth group intern.
I also have several other jobs at the same church but my focus is on the youth group. I don’t agree with doctrine of the church, but the youth group is different. In fact for awhile people in the church had problems with how the youth group ministers, but they’ve gotten over it.
The point is I love working here. Especially because of the team I am with. The Youth Pastor, our Assistant and Techie … we get along great and make a wonderful team.
Two Sundays ago I found out that the youth pastor is leaving. He has taken a position as a youth minister at a church in the Detroit area, his hometown. I haven’t figured out how to take it.
When he first told me I was set on the fact that he had to be pulling a joke on me … not a very funny one though. He’s that kind of person, constantly joking around, pulling pranks, making up elaborate stories just to see how far he can go. I wasn’t until Foster, our volunteer who does tech, looked over at me and stated that this was real.

How do you do this?
Adjust to life without not only your boss (who has been more then generous) but your friend and spiritual father. Someone who you see almost everyday …. and enjoy almost every moment. Someone who understands you more than you can understand.

As I’ve been trying to process this the past two weeks one song comes to mind. “The Call” by Regina Spektor.

“Then word grew louder and louder till it was battle cry
I’ll come back when you call me, no need to say goodbye.
Just because everything changing doesn’t mean its never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are as you head off to the war.
Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light
You’ll come back when it’s over no need to say goodbye.
…. But just because they can’t feel it too doesn’t mean that you have to forget
let your memories grow stronger and stronger until they’re before your eyes.
You’ll come back when they call you no need to say goodbye”