Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Letting Go

The day he first told me he was starting to disappear I didn't believe him & so he stopped & held his hand up to the sun & it was like thin paper in the light & finally I said you seem very calm for a man who is disappearing & he said it was a relief after all those years of trying to keep the pieces of his life in one place.


Later on, I went to see him again & as I was leaving, he put a package in my hand. This is the last piece of my life, he said, take good care of it & then he smiled & was gone & the room filled with the sound of the wind & when I opened the package there was nothing there & I thought there must be some mistake or maybe I dropped it & I got down on my hands & knees & looked until the light began to fade & then slowly I felt the pieces of my life fall away gently & suddenly I understood what he meant & I lay there for a long time crying & laughing at the same time.

(Story People)


***********

I received this poem after a significant death in my life. I've experienced other passings since then, but it was the first one that shook me to my core. I've written about death a lot since then because I find it cathartic.

But at the very heart of this poem is another message- about letting things go.

I need to remind myself of that lesson often.

So this week, I am letting go of my dream to become a published author.

This doesn't mean I'm giving up. It simply means I'm letting the wind cradle my wish in its arms and carry it away. Far far away, to where the universe hears messages like mine and delivers on it some day. I have to believe that. So that I can get back to writing my next novel.


What are you letting go of today?

(images: weheartit.com)

P.S. Stina and I have gotten through our FIRST WORDS WORKSHOP entries. If you'd like to be considered, email me (christinalee04@gmail.com) your first 50-100 word MG or YA entry, so we can continue on! xo

24 comments:

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Beautiful words and very comforting.

hugs
Sissie

Laura Pauling said...

You're right. Letting go doesn't mean giving up. If we grip too tight it will drive us absolutely crazy!

Betsy Cornwell said...

That story is remarkable; thanks so much for sharing.

Emy Shin said...

Those are gorgeous words.

Sometimes, you can only achieve something by letting go. Focus more on the journey than the destination. :)

Stina said...

I love this, Christina!

Sometimes it can be hard to let go because you can't see the good that will come of it. You just have to have faith.

Sarah said...

Wow. Thanks so much for posting this. Letting go is sometimes the best and only thing we can do to move forward because it removes that giant boulder of expectation from the path.

Christine Danek said...

Sometimes when you let go, things happen.
This is beautiful and the poem is wonderful.
Keep believeing.

SharleneT said...

I did that very thing last week. I've been waiting for all the final tweaks to be done on my solar oven, wanting an August unveiling, and decided to let the powers that be make that decision. It will be done. I know that. I'm just impatient. Now, I'm at peace. I just hope it's done before I rest in peace! Come visit when you can.

Matthew MacNish said...

Letting go is the most powerful thing you can do.

This was lovely, thanks, C!

Sarah Tokeley said...

Sometimes we have to let go so that which we let go can come back to us when it is ready.

Hugs to you Christina.

storyqueen said...

The best thing about being a writer is the writing part...not really the publishing part. Find yourself on the pages of your story and the rest is just icing on the cake.

Not sure what I am letting go of today, but after reading this, I really have the desire to just LET GO of something.

Inspirational post, my dear.

Shelley

Maddy said...

What a beautiful lesson this morning! Letting go?? Oh there's been a lot of letting go for me lately. It's so freeing when I'm able to do that and leave whatever it is in God's hands.

Theresa Milstein said...

That was beautiful. I can see the comfort in those words.

I'm not letting go of anything these days. I'm a big mess of stress.

K. M. Walton said...

What a beautiful piece of writing. Just beautiful.

Letting go of the wanting is freeing. Simply believing it will come is by far the most powerful outlook. I believe it is coming for you. No doubt.

Trust in your talent, Christine, and keep writing.

Finding Beauty said...

I am letting go of the thought in the back of my mind that I may someday have a child. That ship has sailed and I must move on. The hardest part is bonding with my mommy friends that I love....I've come to realize i have a lot to offer as a friend, even if I don't have a child. It's been a struggle, but feel if I just let it go I will do myself a great service. Great post Christina!

Peggy Eddleman said...

Awww! I love the thought of that! Sometimes (okay, MOST of the time) I think I am holding on with all I've got.

Rachele Alpine said...

I love that poem...it's beautiful. And I'm giving a big shout out to the universe for you to tell it to listen up and bring your dreams to you!

Jonathon Arntson said...

I never tell myself to just let things go...I really need to do that.

Thanks for the reminder!

Lourie said...

What a powerful message you have posted here today. I am not sure what I am letting go of...other than my sanity. But that is another story.

Meredith said...

Beautiful, beautiful piece. And such a powerful message. Thanks, Christina!

LisaDay said...

Good luck with your latest novel.

LisaDay

Katrina L. Lantz said...

Gorgeous writing! What a beautiful way to handle a difficult subject.

I also wanted to say congratulations on your Mystery Agent win today and good luck!!

Susan Oloier said...

I found you through Writers Support WU, and I really love this post. I think sometimes letting go allows things to become possible. It has happened for me in the past. I, too, am where I have decided to let go of my dream to become a published author. It has been a hard road that often takes away from the people in my life. I will still write, but devote less time to an obsession with queries and agents and publishing.
I like the image of sending a wish out on the breeze and hoping it comes back.
Thank you for your inspiring post. Truly.

Crystal Collier said...

I think we all face this debate at some point. I let it go while living in NY, and I'm sure there will come a day when life is slower, when the earth revolves around the moon, when cheese grows on trees... But for now, reality suits fine. Enjoy the peace eh?