The Power of Letting Go
The past year has been exhausting – emotionally and physically:
- I’ve taken on the expected role of caregiving for my aging mother, now twice a widow and mobility challenged. She’s very independent and her needs are minor, but the increased worry is still taxing.
- My spouse and I also had to make the decision to transfer our child to a new school, after months of unhappiness.
- Added to this mix, my demands at work have steadily increased and time is an invaluable commodity of which I am at a deficit.
Far too often, I find myself driving to and from work in absolute silence, choosing to take a slightly longer route just to increase my solitude by a minute or two.
Everything in its season
Throughout the year, I’ve tried to remind myself that ‘this too shall pass’. Pete Seeger and The Byrds’ 1965 hit song, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” is taken almost verbatim from the third chapter of the religious text, Book of Ecclesiastes, part of which opens with a profound reminder “Everything has an appointed season, and there is a time for every matter….”
I believe that one of the most valuable lessons we can learn is the liberating power of letting go of things that no longer nourish us. The changing seasons of our lives are opportunities to surrender what we no longer need. When things, situations, expectations, and people are preventing us from further growth, it helps to surrender to the present moment and to live in, and embrace, the season in which we find ourselves.
Lessons from the year
The past year has taught me to focus on what matters in that moment, advocating for my needs and to practice the art of saying “No.” It’s a privilege for me to care for my mom. My child is in a better place and thriving. Letting go of expectations and the status quo has revealed the newness on the horizon.
Just like the autumn trees shed their leaves, I have learned to surrender the old to prepare for what is to come.
