Letting go.

I was out walking as the sun was going down and rain was beginning to make its presence felt. Walking in a woodland with my eyes peering ahead when staring at me was a frightening beast. I made an attempt at catching both the atmosphere of the moment and the impression I saw in my mind, but having to do some more work on it was so hoping to share it here today.

As I walked homeward the image kept coming back to me more and more dreamlike. Was this some messenger of doom? I think it might have been the messenger of golf. Not having been able to play for a while because of the spinning in my head I think it was telling me to prepare to meet the messenger of golf course gloom. I think I managed about four good shots in all of the holes we played. 

Such is life there will be another day when I will hit every ball straight and true. I have cleansed my mind of any regret and bitterness. I was out on the course with my sun what more can a man ask for?

There is a tale very similar to one I used way back in the early days of this series of blogs. In this case, the beautiful woman has gone to be replaced by an older lady.

One day, two monks were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own. 

The first monk kindly offered, "We will carry you across if you would like."  "Thank you," she said gratefully, accepting their help.  So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river. When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way. 

After they had walked another mile or so, the second monk began to complain. "Look at my clothes," he said. "They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river. And my back still hurts from lifting her. I can feel it getting stiff." 

The first monk just smiled and nodded his head.

A few more miles up the road, the second monk griped again, "My back is hurting me so badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river! I cannot go any farther because of the pain." 

The first monk looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning. "Have you wondered why I am not complaining?" he asked. "Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman. But I set her down five miles ago." 

That is what many of us are like in dealing with our situations and toils. 

We become that second monk who cannot let go. We hold the pain of the past over our loved ones' heads like a club, or we remind them every once in a while when we want to get the upper hand, of the burden we still carry because of something they did years ago.

In everything, there is always a time to let go often the sooner the better. 

Have a great day.