An Irish Exit

Slán leat or Slán agat. For the Irish, two different ways to say goodbye.

The first (leat) is used when someone departs, leaving you behind. The second (agat), for when you yourself are leaving (agat). Two different actions. Provoking two different emotions. Expressed in two different ways. 

This week I discovered a third variation, something nicknamed the "Irish exit." I was introduced to this term while watching the latest episode of Blue Bloods (yes, I still watch network television. It's Tom Selleck!). 

A quick Google search revealed this term signified someone who slipped away without telling anyone. Like ducking out the side entrance at church or disappearing from a party without alerting the host.

With graduation on the horizon, the topic of goodbyes has been on my mind of late. So whether you are leaving or being left behind, try and stand firm in the moment. In sidestepping the messiness of goodbyes, you risk losing their powerful grace.

"Sadly enough, the most painful goodbyes are the ones left unsaid." - Jonathan Harnisch