Less beautiful things - saying goodbye

When you build relationships, it inevitably means saying goodbye time and again – to volunteers with whom I’ve worked for a few days, weeks or even months.
The saddest thing, however, is saying goodbye to Jörg. Jörg had offered to help out with the boat last autumn and did lend a hand for a few days – shovelling away sand from the sandblasting and painting. For me, it was a gift. I had prayed specifically that God would send me a retired person with DIY skills to support me. Then, for various reasons, it didn’t work out for him to come. And recently, he passed away very unexpectedly. I will miss him – not only for the help he gave me – but also because he sometimes spoke very openly and personally about himself and his life, and I simply grew fond of him as a result.