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TheDiscipleMD

Even though my wife and I have not been raising young children for decades,  I  woke up in a sweat one long ago night to the sound of my granddaughter’s high-pitched singing of:

Let it go, let it go

Can’t hold it back anymore

Let it go, let it go

That song is beginning to haunt my nights! I need to let it go!

Each day we live presents us with a myriad of experiences, some we enjoy, others that we don’t. Sadly, too often we hold more tightly to the “bad” experiences than we do to the “good.”  I don’t know why that is, since holding on to a good experience should bring us so much joy, yet, painful experiences seem to linger much longer than they should. Most often it’s because we “choose” to hold on to them, rather than “letting go.”   We seem to be frozen in the past and we can’t let go of it. Some might think holding on to negative experiences might make us stronger, but I think ‘letting go’ produces strength! For instance, if we find ourselves bringing up statements that our spouses made twenty years ago, perhaps it is time to thaw our emotions and get our hearts warmed. It doesn’t improve our relationship when we hold on to past sins of our spouses of if we do not learn to forgive ourselves for our past mistakes and sins.

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

For many of us, our lives have not turned out like we have wanted, or how we pictured it to be.   While this disappointment may be hard to accept, it is made all the harder when we are not willing to “let go” of having a storybook life.  Often our dreams and reality never join hands in this life.

Noted philosopher Joseph Campbell said it best:

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us”

We all have hopes and dreams. My wish is that they would come true for us all. Sadly, for many of us, they won’t. Unforeseen events will come into our lives, putting a detour on some of our aspirations. Tragic accidents may shatter our dreams, or health issues may put a damper on our goals. Much of what life holds for us is out of our control. Yet, how we react isn’t! When we resolve in our minds, that no matter what comes, we will embrace the presence, let go of the past, and look to the future, our lives will improve and we will find greater joy in daily living.

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I’m never going back,
The past is in the past!

Being frozen in the past by not being able to let go of grudges or bad experiences is harmful to our souls. The beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is having faith that He lets go of our past, and allows us to begin anew; multiple times. We should do the same for others. Let us move forward with our lives with hope and faith in the future, knowing that we will make our lives more joyful and filled with love. Next time we hear Elsa belt out, “Let it Go!”, let’s take it to heart and do it!