June begins the summer exodus. People fly to other continents to escape the summer heat. The school year over, military and expatriate families bid farewell as they move onto their next work assignment. May is the month for good-bye parties.
It started with my friend author Melissa van Maasdyk. She and her husband Glenn are off to Canada for a new life adventure.
Uncertain what exactly they will be doing, at their good-bye dinner we toasted to “future travels,” “a new beginning in Canada, Uruguay or Panama” and “until we meet again.” To the very end, Melissa lingered with me and her friend Reem, standing in the parking lot, saying good-bye until Glenn gently reminded her they had to catch their plane.
Another blow was the sad news that after successfully launching the Bahrain Writer’s Circle and editing My Beautiful Bahrain, Robin Barratt’s wife got a new job outside of Bahrain. Soon he will leave to start fresh somewhere else.
His Navy father’s three year stint complete, our baseball team’s star pitcher’s family is moving to some new secret location.
One of the baseball coaches, a teacher and our martial arts trainer, is taking his family back to Washington state to teach at a new school there.
By June 9th my yoga training will be complete. My teacher, her philosophic husband and a fellow yogini are headed back to their respective countries.
As Bahrain’s future remains uncertain, two ladies from my sculpting class are headed back to Europe. Several fathers of the children’s school mates and one of sculpture class buddies have been transferred to Dubai where the grass is definitely greener.
And after eight years in the Junior school, Ace and Mark are graduating and following their sister to the Senior school. No more chauffeuring for me, they will take a bus to school.
Another tearful, hopeful time.
Tales of Dragons, Rabbits and Roosters 