That Tanja and I founded Bye together is no coincidence. Tanja has big ideas, things that she knows need to happen, that will add value and that people really want. When we discussed our initial ideas about the funeral industry together, we discovered that I had always been a ‘farewell person’. At the time, especially at work (but also in other areas), saying goodbye is something I give above average attention to.

Saying goodbye is selflessly shine a light on someone

Saying goodbye with a smile was always the motto. Farewell songs, videos, magazines, gifts and meaningful speeches and poems. Tanja said, “In saying goodbye, you can really selflessly shine a light on someone without expecting anything in return. It is a very pure form of expressing your appreciation for someone and that is why it suits you so well”.

Saying goodbye properly

That’s the side of saying goodbye that I like and feel comfortable with and that I also want to help others with. But I, too, find saying goodbye particularly difficult and often sad. Goodbyes to holidays, to habits, to suppliers and, of course, to people. Yet I am convinced that saying goodbye properly, whether with a smile or a tear, really helps with the “sequel” – or call it, the next chapter of your life.

Start at the end

When you start a new job, you are often advised to think about how you want to be and what you want to do in your first 100 days. However, I would advise you to think about what your goodbye at that organisation will look like one day, what they will say about you and what they will do for you. Thinking about your goodbye can give so much direction. Start at the end; often a good idea anyway.

Author: Desiree Vernie