Letting Go

It is the season of letting go. Trees are letting go leaves, and animals are preparing for winter.  Recently I have noticed how many ways we can experience loss. On a large scale, we see reports of wars causing widespread destruction of human life and property and we hear of people forced to leave their homes with few belongings. We learn of the deaths of people closer to home, our own or loved ones of people we know. There is loss associated with ageing, reduced mobility or energy levels. There are also smaller daily losses when life interrupts our well-set plans and schedules. All these losses cause s greater or lesser amount of stress and grief that we need to work through and move on from.

Letting go is indeed painful and difficult. Years ago, a wise person gave me some great advice for times of grief and loss. He said that because we are physical beings, it can be very helpful to create a personalised and practical ritual of letting go that is specific to the experience we are going through. Our personal ritual should be something that comes from within us, as an expression of our thoughts and emotions about the loss we are going through.

I have found this advice most helpful at times in my life and I have found that being creative around the experience helps to bring about a closure and inner peace. Indeed, the Irish custom of “wakes” after the death of a person is an example of communal ritual that gives a sense of “letting go” to the community.

Nature teaches us to be not afraid of “letting go” as it is part of the cycle of the seasons. Our Carmelite Saint Therese of Lisieux talks about having “empty hands” before God, because it is only then that we can receive something new. This attitude is one that brings hope and healing. May we live with expectation of something new and beautiful after every “letting go” experience that we have in life.

Lord, make me brave
Let me strengthen after pain as a tree strengthens after rain
Shining and lovely again

Lord, make me brave
As the blown grass lifts, let me rise from sorrow with quiet eyes,
Knowing Your way is wise.

Lord, make me brave
Life brings such blinding things.
Help me to keep my sight; help me to see aright
That out of doubt comes light.

-Author unknown