Expected or unexpected, I would think there is still time to choose to say goodbye or not?
I think a temporary goodbye for only a few weeks could warrant a message, especially if you happened to produce particular content week on week - I've seen people post these messages out frequently actually.
I can still participate, even if the main activity that brought me here is not the main focus anymore.
I think so, and it's likely there will be things to participate in that could not be imagined at the start :)
Two examples:
Expecting a baby - sent a message out in advance, let people know you will be away
Experiencing a death - maybe the grief is too much to write a post
The beautiful thing about life and Steem is that our experiences are unique - there is not a single pattern that everyone will follow.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post!
Those are good examples to compare, thank you for the thought-provoking comments :)