Friday Five: Reverendmother's Swan Song

Reverendmother over at RevGals says her (maybe? certainly baby) goodbye to hosting the Friday Five with these questions:

On Endings and Goodbyes:

1. Best ending of a movie/book/TV show

Newhart, hands down. I never watched this show much, but the whole "waking up in bed with the wife from my previous sitcom" was brilliant. Brilliant.

Movie-wise, I still love the ending of Gone With the Wind. I love that we never know what happens to Rhett and Scarlett and so you have to imagine it for yourself. Sequels be damned.

2. Worst ending of a movie/book/TV show

Hmmm. I hated the end of The Piano. As someone who loves to play the piano herself, the idea of losing a finger and the ability to play - and all the emotional release which comes with it - was traumatic to me.

3. Tell about a memorable goodbye you've experienced.

Saying goodbye to my bestest seminary friends was very, very hard. But it reminded me of how hard it was to say goodbye to my college friends - after which I managed to convince myself that, although nothing could ever possibly be as good as college, seminary would be okay. And seminary was even better. So although saying goodbye to seminary friends was hard, I had a better hope that the best was still to come.

4. Is it true that "all good things must come to an end"?

Eventually, yes. That's why I love anticipation even more than the actual event. Eventually, everything ends. (However, see comment on "the best is still coming" above.)

**I am editing this quickly to explain a bit more: as Robert Capon would put it, the only thing you need to be in order for God to resurrect you is dead. Only after things end can they be raised to new life which, after all, is our greatest hope - so I find it a good thing that everything ends. God does love to raise the dead, after all...

5. "Everything I ever let go of has claw marks on it." --Anne Lamott
Discuss.

This is one among the thousands of reasons I love Anne Lamott. Personally, I can hardly let go in the first place.

Bonus: "It isn't over until the fat lady sings." I've never loved this expression. So propose an alternative: "It isn't over until the coffee pot is empty." How very Lutheran of me.

And, by the way - thanks, Reverendmother, for so many great Friday Fives. Blessings on your way!