As a teacher, we are used to saying goodbye. After 10 months of building a culture and climate of warmth and supportiveness in a class that begins to feel more like a family, it is inevitably time to say goodbye. I said my first goodbye to a class in June 1992. There were tears and hugs from my 16 boys and return hugs from me, their teacher.
What’s different about an international school is that the faculty, staff, and students are always turning over. They are moving to new countries every three years or so and that makes goodbyes even harder.
South Africa has a saying, hamba wena, which is a special type of goodbye. At our final assembly, we honored staff and students who are moving on while the most amazing group of singers ushered us out. I was wiping tears for the better part of 30 minutes.
It just always seems that there is an African saying or proverb or word for things that run so much deeper than any English word or phrase can. The direct translation always seems to simplify a concept that is significantly deeper and more meaningful.
The Journey Inward 
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