From Castlebar - County Mayo -

Celia
"Auf Wiedersehen" Friend
By Celia Anderson
17, Mar 2004 - 15:22

In the run of life we come into contact with thousands of people. Some are just in passing. Something about them catches your eye. Some are gone in a flash; most are never to be seen again. Others stay a bit longer and some you get to keep for a lifetime.

Many people that I have met whether at work, home or leisure have left an impact on my life. Some you meet are OK in small doses, some you feel the need to increase the dosage. There are people who go away leaving you with a great feeling of relief. Sometimes we say bye or see them go with a sigh or a big PHEW. I am sure there are people in the readers’ lives whom they were pleased to see the last of. We wave them goodbye with thoughts not to be said out loud such as, "Good riddance!" or "Thank goodness for that!". I am not asking you to agree with me and will not be counting hands.

Anyhow, to finally get to my point. The German language is very descriptive and has two very true words. "Auf Wiedersehen!" Translated they mean something like "Till we meet again." Now I must say that I have many AW (Auf Wiedersehen) friends. People that I would not like to say Goodbye to. People that have captured a friendship chamber in my heart. We all have those AW friends and we find it hard to see them go.

My AW friend whom I have to sadly say "Auf Wiedersehen" to came into my life a little more than one year ago. He is tall, dark and handsome. Well, not so dark, but a good colour. He is a little older than my daughter. He entered into my life with a bang. To be honest, it was more a good "slagging". For some reason, this gentle giant took a (Dis)liking to me and over the last year I have become his slagging friend. At times my co-workers looked on in shock at the greetings he threw my way. You wonder how I could like someone like that. Well, I do and know that his good-hearted slagging was a nice way to say hiya. We have never spent time discussing politics or such, never visited each others homes or had a drink together (not counting the quiz night where we came 2nd (last) and found out that drink and knowledge don’t mix). But the time we spent together throwing insults as we passed in the canteen at work will always make me laugh. My AW friend is off to New Zealand at the end of the month and I would just like to say…. "AUF WIEDERSEHEN" ROBERT. Best of luck with your adventure.

(I cringe as I submit this. I just know I’m in for a mighty "slagging" when he reads this.)

Now that I have bored you once again with my rambling thoughts, why don’t you pick up the phone and say hi to your AW friend. Make the most of it. Say hi before it’s time to say "Auf Widersehen".



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