Should you always say good bye?

Recently, a person who was fairly important in my life and I fell out. It was clear that we had a difference of opinion that was too big to gap. Yet we never explicitly said we would not be talking to each other again. The silence just grew and grew and at a certain point, I kind of caught on. I could still go back and say “good bye” if I wanted to. But I don’t know if it is wise or necessary.

We have many situations that seem inconclusive in life. Sometimes you don’t have an opportunity to go back and clean them up. Other times, the opportunity is there. Should you go back and clean it up, or just leave it alone? Is the value of getting closure worth the risk of bringing up the painful feelings you spent so much time coming to grips with?