Ripples v7.38: Ripples of LETTING GO!

Ripples v7.38: Ripples of LETTING GO!
October 10, 2005
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=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

There is an important difference between giving up and letting go.
-Jessica Hatchigan, submitted by Mia W., Greensboro NC

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDERS =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Letting go is like releasing a tight spring at the core of yourself,
one you\'ve spent your whole life winding and maintaining.
When you let go, you grow still and quiet.
You learn to sit among the cornstalks and wait with God.
-Sue Monk Kidd, submitted by Ruth M., Janseville WI

To live in this world you must be able to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go, let it go.
-Mary Oliver, submitted by Terry D., Appleton WI

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

If you are like me, the simple act of reading the above quotes could cause you to exhale, drop your shoulders, and lift your spirits. Sometimes I treat my brain like an attic and my heart becomes a spare bedroom closet. Each in their own way become storage areas for past hurts that I was not ready to part with when I placed them there. Deep wounds, shallow slights, and losses both significant and tiny have found their way into my psyche like the cardboard packaging from old purchases. It may be smart to store them for a while just in case we need to re-use them. At some point, though, if we don\'t clean out our storage areas, we are unable to find room for new things!

I challenge you to spend some time this week cleaning out your psychic storage. You may choose to purge some past pain or anger, and remember that you don\'t necessarily have to throw them all away. Perhaps you have been storing a past relationship in a \"this was a horrible time in my life\" container when it may be time to wrap it in tissue and move it into a box labeled \"some good times and valuable lessons stored here.\" You may discover a stack of \"to worry about\" that can be completely tossed out or at least whittled down to a smaller pile. Whether you\'re eliminating, paring down, or simply rearranging, I hope you ponder the difference between GIVING UP and LETTING GO!

Peace,
Paul