It’s Day 21 of the 31 Days in the Life of a TCK series! Welcome! You can find more info on the series here.
It seems like my last week in the US was the best (Here‘s the whole story).
Full of crazy adventures, late night talks over coffee, eating through every type of food. Simply enjoying the time we could have as friends.
Saying goodbye to little things and places.
As difficult as every beginning in a new country is – the leaving part is even harder.
Connected to the moving is the going and saying goodbye.
May it be that people on your base are leaving.
May it be that it’s time for you and your family to move on.
Going is part of a TCK’s life and no matter how often you do it, it doesn’t really get any easier.
So how then can we make the going at least bearable?
Jesus gave us a perfect example when he left this earth.
He reconciled things and didn’t leave anything unsettled.
He spent time with his disciples and affirmed the relationship they had.
He threw a farewell party the night before.
And he spent a lot of time telling his friends where he would go and what they could expect.
His example shows us how we can build a
R-reconciliation: don’t leave unsettled relationships, open questions, or grudges behind
A- affirmation: celebrate friendships, lives you shared together, and the many blessings
F- farewell: say goodbye to things and people that matter to you
T- thinking ahead: what are you looking forward to at the next destination?
It won’t change everything but it will help us transition into the next phase.
thisiskatha.com 
O wow, that's a lot of moves! I hope you still find peace in the places where you're at. The RAFT model is from Ruth van Reken and David Pollock, based on how Jesus said goodbye to his disciples.
Thank you! Yes, the middle parts are the toughest but also the places where growth happens. Praying for your “middles”, too!
RAFT!!! Where was this when I needed it! Our family has moved 9 times in 10 years! This post makes perfect sense to me! Shared with a friend too. Thank you!
http://www.bethanyboring.com
I am writing about transitions as well and I LOVE your style. I love how you can say it in so many less words and make such a beautiful point!!! One of my favorite quotes, from the movie Hope Floats, is “Beginnings are scary; endings are sad; but it's the middle that counts!” (Not word for word.) It's so true – I pray that all your “middles” remind you of all the great times and bring you comfort during your transition!!
Wow, that's a big transition! I guess there will always be the “missing part” but isn't that also okay? Thanks for visiting!
Thanks!
Every transition is different…thanks for visiting!
I love the acronym 🙂 I immigrated to the US to marry my US sweetheart and so left my home of 31 years and I can smile with memories thinking about going through each of those stages 🙂 I miss Scotland dearly and it will always be home, but leaving in the right way made the transition easier!
Sarah Travis
I know how hard it is to say good-bye and having to let go. What a beautiful way of seeing things – it makes it more bearable! Thank you, Katha!
My husband is a pastor and we have moved several times in our marriage. Some goodbyes I feel like we marked really well…others not so much.
I agree that being intentional in the process bring peace in the midst of chaos!