The story of Farewell

I will never forget the moment my phone rang. A stranger told me that my brother had died in an accident. It was a sharp turning point: from a relatively easy, carefree time in life to a period of confusion unlike anything I had ever experienced.

" I've never been so confused "

As human beings, we lose people from time to time. Over the years we learn to accept this. It feels natural when, for example, our grandparents pass away. But losing my brother was completely different. I had never lost someone approximately my own age, and my parents were not at an age where I expected them to pass away soon. This was something entirely new and shocking to me.

" This was something entirely new and shocking to me "

I talked a lot with others about my brother’s passing, and it helped me understand and accept that accidents can happen and that they can lead to irreversible consequences. Still, I was left with many questions. Had he really disappeared? Where was he? If he wasn’t here, then where could he be? Would I really never hear from him again?

" If he wasn’t here, then where could he be? "

I got stuck in confusion. We grew up together, so I couldn’t imagine life without him. As a child we played together, and as a big brother he often guided me into the big world. When we grew older, we stayed connected through visits, calls and messages. Suddenly, all of that was gone. No visits, no phone calls, no jokes, no big-brother advice. I could still remember his voice, the way he picked up the phone. But that was all I had left, the only proof that he had existed.

" It was the only proof he had existed "

I wanted to write a song to give some space to my thoughts and emotions. Then these words came into my mind: “Farewell, farewell, farewell, I’ll see you soon.” Suddenly I realized that these words were the missing key to my confusion. They told me that, even though I don’t know where he is or where he went, one day I will go the same way. As if he is already just behind the curtain, and one day I will step through it too. Wherever it may lead.

" ... and one day I will step trough it too, wherever it may lead "

Many questions remain. But knowing that I will walk the same path one day helps me accept that we are still on the same road of life and that one day, we will arrive at the same place.