Before the Ascension

I would have preferred Jesus saddened by the prospect of Ascension.  I would rather him miss his friends even before leaving them, and that he tell them so rather than simply leave.  I would rather have him regret the loss of them, no matter how short the time; but maybe he had already said those things.  Maybe he had spent that forty days in sharing and perhaps it was in that time he got to say: "Know I loved you, and don't be afraid to love each other; sing often and dance each chance you get; touch one another; let each other know you are trying to understand; don't let your friend become only your brother, and remember that brothers are more essential to one another than anyone else might ever be; don't let traditions end as long as they are good and helpful; offer assistance to those in danger of becoming creeps; trust each other."  Maybe it had all been said.  Still, I wish he had said goodbye, with a tear in each eye.