More Letting Go

Letting Go — continued

It’s been a week now that I have been keeping the “letting go box” I referred to in last week’s blog entry.  It’s proving to be an interesting experience. I am noticing how many little things I hold onto — little bits of conversation I’ve had throughout the day, or frustration with coordinating the car with my husband’s schedule, or remembering something I didn’t like that I ate for lunch. Individually these are  small in scale, but collectively they have the potential of becoming large and taking up a big space in me.

Throughout the day, while I am at work, or in the house, I jot down on small pieces of paper what is clinging to me, and then put them in the  box. If the thought or feeling returns, I remind myself that I’ve let go, and it’s in the box now. By the end of  last week, I was amazed to see that my box was bursting! I ended up emptying its contents into the fireplace one night, when my husband and I were sitting in our living room enjoying a warm and cozy fire. As I watched the pieces of paper burn, I could feel a release of weight in my mind and body.

Now, let’s see what this week brings.  It’s only Sunday, but already there are a handful of notes in the box. As I am letting go of certain thoughts and feelings,  I notice there is more room for other ones to emerge. My feelings of grief over losing my father almost a year are surfacing and I am able to be more present to them. I encourage you to try this process along with me.