Ray's Daily

“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back.  May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields.  And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”

Irish Blessing

Well gang it is that time again when we have to shut down Ray’s Daily for a while. The staff needs a break, the presses need maintenance and the writer needs to hibernate for a week or so. So we’ll do it all at once and close down the shop. I also will take an extra day or two for some needed minor surgery which will allow me to get some rest. If you don’t mind some history you can always go to Ray’s Daily on WordPress where there are a couple of thousand back issues stored.

While I am on my short sabbatical I would appreciate it if you would do all you can to restore some civility in our world that lately seems to prefer anger and vitriol to dialogue. Stopping a few wars, feeding a few million starving kids would also be good if you have the time.  Oh yes and by all means stay well, have fun and be kind I need you to be here when I get back.

I will only say please farewell while I am away, goodbyes are not easy but they are better when they are only temporary. Sadly I am at an age when many leave the scene never to return and we are left to live with the aftermath of unsaid goodbye. When that happens I find the following to be helpful.

4 Tips for Saying Farewell

1. Focus on the positive. Looking back at the time spent with colleagues, it’s oddly tempting to zero in on the people who were not positive, who made working with them difficult and irritating. It might be a trick of the mind that urges us to look at what we won’t miss so we don’t feel so down about what will miss, but don’t forget to focus on the positive. Think of the good times you had with those you’re saying goodbye to and remind them of those positive experiences when you go.

2. Embrace the present. Saying goodbye often causes us to think back on the past — both the good and the bad — and dwell on it. We want to cling to the good times or feel slighted by the bad times. But life — and goodbyes — is too short for that. Don’t allow yourself to dwell on what was. Instead, focus on what is. Be grateful for where you are today and encourage others to do the same.

3. Share your sadness. It’s okay to be sad about leaving. Don’t feel like you have to keep all of this to yourself. Find a colleague or friend you can talk to and express how you’re feeling. Others might be feeling the same way and appreciate your openness — and you will release some of the burden once you open up and share your emotions with others. Change of any kind can be intimidating, but we don’t have to face it alone. Don’t underestimate or ignore your emotions. Embrace them, address them, and share them in order to overcome them.

4. Exit with grace. Say goodbye to those who meant the most to you. Move forward to the present and do not dwell on negative interactions you have had in the past.

I edited this piece that I saved from the Positively Present blog where the author frequently shares her heart.

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“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”

Richard Bach

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Mr. and Mrs. Shoenfeld were asleep in their beds late one night, when Mrs. Shoenfeld heard a noise downstairs.  “Wake up!” cried Mrs. Shoenfeld, nudging her husband.  “There are burglars in the kitchen. I think they’re eating the pot roast I made tonight!”

“What do we care,” said Mr. Shoenfeld.  “As long as they don’t die in the house!”

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“I’ve learned that I should make the little decisions with my head and the big decisions with my heart.”

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Newlywed Bride: “Will you love me when I’m old?”

Newlywed Groom: “Love you? I shall idolize you. I shall worship the ground that you walk on. I shall…. errrr….uhhhhh…..You’re NOT going to look like your mother, are you?”

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“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.”

Mark Twain

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A pious man who had reached the age of 105 suddenly stopped going to synagogue. Alarmed by the old fellow’s absence after so many years of faithful attendance the Rabbi went to see him. He found him in excellent health, so the Rabbi asked, “How come after all these years we don’t see you at services anymore?”

The old man looked around and lowered his voice. “I’ll tell you, Rabbi,” he whispered. “When I got to be 90, I expected God to take me any day. But then I got to be 95, then 100, then 105. So I figured that God is very busy and must’ve forgotten about me, and I don’t want to remind Him!”

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It begins when you sink into his arms and ends with your arms in the sink.

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I suppose some degree of commerce would grind to a halt if telephone solicitors weren’t able to call people at home during the dinner hour.  But that doesn’t make it any more pleasant.

Now Steve Rubenstein, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, has proposed “Three Little Words” based on his brief experience in a telemarketing operation — that would stop the nuisance for all time.  The three little words are “Hold on, please.” Saying this while putting down your phone and walking off instead of hanging up immediately — would make each telemarketing call so time-consuming that boiler rooms would grind to a halt.

When you eventually hear the phone company’s beep-beep-beep tone, you know it’s time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task.

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She said, men have feelings too (but who really cares)

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A troop of Boy Scouts was being used as “guinea pigs” in a test of emergency systems. A mock earthquake was staged, and the Scouts impersonated wounded persons who were to be picked up and cared for by the emergency units.

One Scout was supposed to lie on the ground and await his rescuers, but the first-aid people got behind schedule, and the Scout lay “wounded” for several hours. When the first-aid squad arrived where the casualty was supposed to be, they found nothing but a brief note: “Have bled to death and gone home.”

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“A girl phoned me the other day and said, ‘Come on over; nobody’s home.’  I went over. Nobody was home.”

Rodney Dangerfield

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A little boy, who was “very” much afraid of the dark, was told by his mother to go out to the back porch and bring her the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and said, “Mama, I don’t want to go out there. It’s dark.” The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. You don’t have to be afraid of the dark,” she explained. “Jesus is out there

He’ll look after you and protect you.” The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, “Are you sure he’s out there?” “Yes, I’m sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to help you when you need him,” she said. The little boy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called “Jesus? If you’re out there, would you please hand me the broom?

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“There are no good-byes, where ever you’ll be, you’ll be in my heart.”

Ghandi

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Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

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