The long goodbye

I hate saying goodbye to people. It seems so final. I find it rarely is. Or rather, relationships don't generally end in a marked moment, neatly or definitively... At least in my case. There is always something that lingers. I am absolutely incapable of abandoning people that I love, or have loved, I can't...



So Friday morning I brought Almond (ahhmand according to Deborah) croissant and we breakfasted our goodbyes. Alison will be back but Deborah got herself a tenure track position in Jeb--country. She is still trying to adjust.



Saturday we said goodbye to more friends. I don't think I. knows that Regina is going back to México... but it is better that way. And after her dad's field work, she'll be back for another year.



Reiterating my point about men and grilling... even the infants gravitate toward the barbecue. Men in their men circle with the meat, and the beers, and women inside with the children... Ok, so I did have a beer, just one, but it is funny, I wonder what the draw is - men towards the flame...



This is how these nights generally end. It seems that the children multiply in the darkness. None wanting to go home. Of course the men's party didn't end here, it ended in my living room, late... while the babes slept in their mother's arms... or at least in my case this was true.

So tonight is the last part of this painful separation. Alicia and Ignacio's graduation party. Later, there will be more.