#Farewell

Farewell is the most courteous way to belittle another's presence. It distills the purity of sorrow and interrogates the freshness of memories. It is the merciless crash test of all human bonds, a social ritual that proclaims eternity while fracturing hearts in an instant.

A farewell ritual is a festival of virtue to see off the departing, and simultaneously a perfect stage for the remaining to satisfy their own vanity. Bouquets are touted as symbols of gratitude, but in reality they signal a desire to go home early. Farewell speeches are woven as if pledging eternity, yet serve only as an excuse for future business engagements. At the banquet, glasses are raised repeatedly while minds quietly calculate the best moment to stand up. Still, decorum forbids breaking form, compelling a performance of smiles mixed with tears.