Jim Matheos

Based on Jim Matheos’ “We only say goodbye.” Click here to read it.
Speak from your heart.
As often as we speak to one another during our lives, we never really speak from the heart and tell each other our deepest feelings. In the lyrics to “We only say goodbye” by Jim Matheos, the author outlines the theory that we all struggle to overcome our inhibition to communicate with each other. The author believes that more often than not, we only speak from our hearts when our time is short or ending on this earth. How often have you truly told a friend or loved one your deepest thoughts to illustrate just how much they mean to you? How often have you lived with the regret of not taking the chance to speak from your heart when the moment presented

Time often diminishes relationships, Matheos states “Another moment for the memory. As we lose another year.” (3-4), identifying the damage that underutilized time can bring into a relationship. Matheos also references distance as a problem by stating “Across the miles. Both of us reaching we try. But it's so hard to touch.” (21-23). Why is it human nature to allow time and distance to reduce the value of a conversation? In today’s age of technology, the ability to connect with someone is easier than ever. Even with the modern tools available, people still struggle to find the words they need to inform someone of their importance in their life. Why does the problem exist at all? Matheos writes “Thought I heard you call my name. But you only said goodbye.” (5-6) to illustrate the fact that it is in our nature to remain listening, hoping for the words to come to us from others. There is a deep rooted desire to hear someone’s deepest thoughts about yourself and to hear your importance to them. Time is a constant that can diminish the value within our relationships if we allow it to happen. Matheos urges us to take great care and not allow time to steal our chances or “When it's too late we can only say goodbye”