Thursday Thirteen No. 17: Ways to Say Good-Bye

The history of the English language tells us that word good is a descendant of the word God,so it's not a leap to say God is at the heart of all things good. The speaks to the place through the ages of the Divine in our personal interactions because good is so much a part of every greeting, which are blessings. I have been thinking of good in the context of good-bye, and this thought sent me on a search for other words used at leave-taking. All are blessings:

1. Godspeed
Middle English: May God prosper you.
2. Farewell
Middle English: a wish of happiness at parting; a last look at something
3. auf Wiedersehen
German, meaning "until I see you again"
4. Goodbye
English: God be with you.
5. Adieu
French: "I commend you to God."
6. Adios
Spanish: "I commend you to God."
7. Slan abhaile
Irish: "Safe homewards."
8. Vaya con dios
Spanish: Go with God.
9. Shalom
Hebrew: peace, hello, goodbye, and wellbeing. Shalom comes from the root verb Shalom, meaning to be complete, perfect, and full.
10. Blessings
from the Old English bledsung: to make holy.
11. Sayonara
Japanese: “If you are living with the Sun, then you must be feeling fine."
12. Namaste
From the Sanskrit: "I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Integrity, of Wisdom, and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One."
13. Again, Namasate
"The divine peace in me greets the divine peace in you."
Because goodbye is difficult, Namaste again:
"Your spirit and my spirit are one."

Thursday Thirteen