Let it Go!

Is it really that easy to let go of the past, to release pain?

Just let it go, they say.
“OK. Sure. I will!”

“They” make it sound so easy, as if you could do it on command.
“Let go of the past. Let go of the pain. Just let it go.”

They chastise you for holding on, call you weak, insinuate that it’s all your own fault.

If it were that easy, we would all be balanced, less complicated souls.

But it’s not easy for everyone. Maybe those who order you to “just let it go” never really let go of anything. They just bury it, ignore it, push it so deep that it’s forgotten. Until it’s regurgitated one day. Like PTSD, impacting their lives all over again. Eventually, they will be reminded of the past they never healed and try to understand how to fix everything, heal themselves.

When someone says “let it go,” remind them that you’re healing and healing takes time. You will examine the details, the reasons why, perhaps blame others, and then blame yourself. Take time to feel the pain, instead of swallowing your sorrow, where it continues to swirl inside you, fighting to come out. The more you heal, the more you let go. Sometimes it’s just one tiny thread at a time until finally, you unravel the knots that kept you tied to the past.

As you pull the last thread that has kept you bound, you exhale your past.

Let it take as long as you need. Let it happen in its own time.