Saying goodbye is hard

I've never been one for goodbyes....In fact I'll try and avoid them at all costs. At this time of the year it becomes very hard to avoid this when you are about to lose a bunch of mates that you have grown close to over the past 2 years......It should get easier but never does...
So what do you do, what do you say to people you have come to know and care about......??
The truth is there is no easy way to do it.....There's always the promise that you'll catch up in the future and you'll text or phone but as time goes on that becomes less and less frequent as we all get caught up in our own lives......
A dear friend of mine left Baton Rouge last year and I was devastated....It was her turn to move on and my turn to stay......In truth I was happy for her. She was going to her dream job in her dream part of the world. We have stayed in touch through thick and thin in the last year. We've both listened to each others trials and tribulations but I still miss being able to go for a beer with her or simply just spend time with.....
So what do you say when it's time to say goodbye.....Be eloquent, be tactful and keep it simple.....
In truth, I hate the word goodbye. I simply say:

'I'll see you when I see you'



JD Salinger once wrote:
 "I was trying to feel some kind of good-bye. I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn’t even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don’t care if it’s a sad good-bye or a bad good-bye, but when I leave a place I like to know I’m leaving it. If you don’t you feel even worse"

or better still Terry Pratchett
"No more words. We know them all, all the words that should not be said. But you have made my world more perfect"