Release

As we are living our lives people, situations, and even material things of all sorts and sizes move into our lives ~ and eventually move out of our lives again.
As it turns out most of the items that land in my grocery cart every week have a decided expiration date. When that date arrives it better had been used, or it will move out of my life in some other manner. Yet there are also things that we may not even think would have an expiration date, and yet, at some point in time they do move out of our lives just the same…

It is one of those “wisdoms” that are so easily said: that we have to release all those things that are holding us back. To release the things that may have served us in the past, yet are no longer doing so. The things that are part of our comfort zone, but that in reality have lost their purpose in our lives long time ago.

It is not as easy to actually do it.

Sometimes the memories associated with something will prevent us from releasing it. Perhaps memories of who gave it to us long ago, or the hopefully happy occasion it was given to us.
And when it is about people, we may have drifted apart ~ may not even know what to talk about when we would meet ~ but it is easier to leave it at that rather than actually releasing the other person. Possibly we were never that close to begin with but the thought of what might have been had circumstances been different is what keeps us from truly releasing whatever bond is left between us.

And then there are those that we never imagined would ever stop being part of our lives. Those that we may not speak with often, those that we keep in touch with through emails and Skype ~ yet somehow it feels like they will always be there for us, just like we would be there for them.
And when a long time friend like that passes, all we have left are memories.
There is no choice, other than to release them.

Whether we release someone or something is not always up to us.
As our lives move with the Seasons; as one moon becomes two, and three, and many… Our paths may take different directions ~ even detours ~ and suddenly we find ourselves in new places, with new friends. Living our lives and discovering we have new needs and desires.

To what extend we then choose to release the old is a personal decision. For some people it means moving to a new job, a new place and consequently releasing the old job and house.
For others the only decision that makes sense at that point is a way more drastic release.

Either way, when we release the old, we are most definitely creating the space for new beginnings!