When The Party’s

The party is over at a different time for everyone,

Sometimes it’s when we realize we must leave alone, and are fearful of the dark.

Often, it just stops being fun despite the laughter and the bright lights.

Occasionally, another commitment causes an early exodus.

It usually ends though because the music slows down at different times for those still dancing.

I became the first to leave when I heard the music stop.

I believed the party was almost over.

My friends disagreed. They hoped I would stay until the end and leave with them. They still heard the music and enjoyed the dancing..

Much later when I believed I heard sounds of music playing softly and wafting across the miles, I wondered if they had been right.

I believed I could still hear their laughter. It was easy to remember the gaiety of the night and the theatre and forget other things,

I started to forget the cold loneliness of an empty house or the silent isolation during a snow storm.

Instead the ringing of voices, the church chimes and the soft memory of what once was started to cloud my memory bank.

Yesterday, I looked back just one more time, still slightly afraid of turning into a pillar of salt.

Then I knew my decision, while not right for others, had been a wise one for me.

We each must decide when is the best time to make an exit. Some of us choose to leave earlier in order to avoid goodbyes. Often, others are unaware of what really prompts their early departure.

Some remain to help friends who need assistance before saying goodnight.

A few good guests remain until the very end to assist cleaning up the festivities.

Yesterday I finally had the courage to open a closed door of memory and view some of the decisions others I knew had made.

A caregiver remained to make life easier for the friend who was no longer able to depart. She chose to be the companion who pretended the party would never end.

Then another, an unselfish guest, stayed to be certain everyone else had a good time.

And as I remembered, I suddenly realized,

The music ends at a different moment in time for each of us. We all will know when it is the proper time to leave, but everyone will agree that it had been a great party.