Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow. My necessaries are embark’d: farewell. Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave.

Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet

I was reminded of these lines when the Little Po asked his brother who Shakes Pare was. They were reading Romeo & Juliet in their drama class where they were learning how to read with expression. Little Po could be excused for asking who Shakes Pare was because his exposure to literature was limited to his previous obsession with ‘Supa Strikas’ the animated football show on YouTube where Shakes is a major player.But Wow Dinga who had already heard of the Bard since he is older and wiser immediately put things in context and mockingly corrected him with the right name .

More than being amused at this mix up, I was astounded by the fact that the Second Graders were already being exposed to plays that I had read as a teen . ‘Romeo & Juliet’ was our prescribed English text book in Inter Arts ( or Senior High School as it would be known today).

However, these lines remain etched in my memory for one is always saying goodbye to one thing or another in one’s life . And 2022 seems to be a year marked with changes where I said goodbye to many things.

Today I will be saying goodbye to a way of life that I have known for the past three decades because Hubby Dear will be retiring.

From the beginning of this year, Hubby Dear’s retirement has been looming ahead of us and throughout the year, there were frequent discussions at home about what likely scenarios would play out in our lives. On good days we saw good times ahead and on the days we felt low we saw nothing but gloom. After all, shifting gears is never easy.

It was also the year when Prima Donna’s break said goodbye to her 12 year long association with a company that she loved working for. Like her father, she will be looking for new avenues.

We said goodbye to Anna Shetty and her family when they relocated to a new home. Though she still remains close by, it feels strange to look at her now former home across the road and find it empty. The emptiness is further compounded by her infrequent visits home and the boys’ absence that we feel. For ten years their lives were intertwined with ours and now we see them only on a Saturday.

However, there were many reasons to celebrate: like birthdays, a wedding in the family and the addition of another little one. Schools began after a lull of two years and we met cousins from abroad and re-connected with old friends.

Health wise, we all had a brush with Omicron and a terrible scare when Little Po was rushed to the hospital with acute ITP. Those were the worst moments of our life but thankfully we came through.

So it would seem that 2022 was a year like every other year with its ups and downs without any earth shattering changes for the good or the bad . For this I’m grateful yet at times it felt like we were living in a limbo and I’m glad to say goodbye to 2022.

Though 2023 begins with no plans in place , I hope it will be the start of new beginnings at a kinder, gentler pace.

Happy New Year and thanks for visiting.

Ciao