Sweet Sadness

Saying Goodbye To My Sister Dawson

Some goodbyes are both sad and sweet. My sister, Dawson, is leaving Second Life today. Her intent is to rarely return, if ever. And so, a vast void looms large in my second life that was once filled with adventure and discovery, sailing and helicopter thrills, laughter and sound advise, and so much sisterly affection and love. This is the sadness. That impending loneliness that would be unbearable but for the sweet.

For Dawson, this is a day for which she worked long and hard. Daw was born in China but was raised and lives in Holland. She is separated from her partner, residing in China, the love of her life. But in just a few hours, Daw's partner will arrive in Holland as a new immigrant, and they will begin their life together, never to be separated again. Dawson's life will be filled leaving little room for Second Life, she says. The sweet is my joy at my sister's impending happiness. And I find that the sweet has blended with the sadness to produce a melancholy that is warm and unexpectedly comforting.

A Portrait of My Sisters and Me

We said our goodbyes at Jaysun's new house. My sister Victoria was also there. And, as Jay noted, it was a rare gathering of all three of us. There were hugs all around. But was it a final gathering? I harbor a hope. Dawson is a creative force, and that creativity had an outlet for expression in Second Life. That creativity and the love of people here for her may someday pull her back, if only for abreviated visits. And the picture above may not be the final group portrait of my sisters in Second Live.

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