Every language has special words for parting, and they are often more interesting than they look. The English word goodbye, for example, began life as the phrase ‘God be with you,’ worn smooth over the centuries until only ‘goodbye’ remained. The word farewell is a small blessing too: it once meant ‘may you travel well.’ Other languages do the same. The French say au revoir and the Germans auf Wiedersehen, both meaning ‘until we see each other again’ — a goodbye that is really a promise to meet once more. Even the casual Hawaiian aloha serves as both hello and goodbye, as if greeting and parting were two sides of one warm feeling. What all these words share is a wish for the other person’s wellbeing after you part. A goodbye, it turns out, is rarely just an ending; hidden inside it is almost always a small hope for what comes next.

No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.