Most doctors will tell you that Goodbyes are hard to
overcome - harder than "Hellos", more difficult than
"Happy Discord", and in a completely different league
than "Uncomfortable Silences". They often cause
patients to cry, sweat, and engage in long hugs with
people they wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. It's
a very hard thing to watch, but it must be stopped.

So you're probably asking yourself, "How does this guy
know they have The Goodbyes?" Well, being a trained
specialist in the G-B's, I can see behavior that may
not be apparent to the average human eye:

1) Throwing A Going Away Party 6 Times:
That's right, once you hit the 5 party threshold, it's
usually too late. How many of you showed up at their
last "going away" party, only to disover that they
were not a) going away, and b) even having a party.
Had I not flown 6,000 miles for the engagement,
perhaps it wouldn't be quite as big of a deal.
Perhaps I wouldn't have to write such a sad letter.

2) Not Actually Leaving
Had they faked the party and still actually gone on
their trip, this would be more a case of "Toy With
Your Friends' Emotions" - a much less dangerous
condition. Instead, they decided to hang around the
country they live in, and laugh it up as everyone
wondered, "Are they ever going to leave?"

3) Watching Old Kung Fu Movies
Okay, I'm not completely sure if they do this or not,
but it's third and most dangerous symptom. My guess
is, you stop over to their place on any given
weeknight, and you will find some Bruce Lee in the DVD
player.

In Conclusion:
I can't speak for anyone else here, but I really hope
this is the last letter about this. I hope it's not another
trick, attempting to get me to fly to England to provide
the "Goodbye" they so desperately need. While I want
to support you through your illness, I need you to know
that I have a limited emotional capacity to handle a lot of
Goodbyes. So, please, go on your trip. Experience
new things and have a hell of a time. But whatever
you do, please don't sneeze on any of your friends...
it would be sad to have to say goodbye all over again.