Despite the general message and reason for this blog, let me assure you that I am no expert at letting go. Quite contrarily to that and truth be told, I have spent the majority of my life trying to hold on.
But loss does not discriminate. No matter how emphatically we try to hold on to the people and “things” important to us, loss will and does occur in everyone’s life at some point…and way more often at multiple points. To live at all, in fact, is to lose. This is a reality of life, as just the simple and assured outcome of death often reminds us. We can neither escape it or deny it and the attempt to do either is futile….and I’m guessing, although I’m not a psychologist, it’s maybe not the most healthy.
And so, as an alternative practice and process, what you (as a reader) may find in my writing is an attempt to explore loss on a more intimate basis in order to understand why we fear it, why it often seems so unbearable, and how learning to let go and welcoming new people and experiences can help us appreciate life’s abundances, what we have, and what’s to come. Because, if one believes that energy is transferable, then nothing really is ever lost without some sort of gain. It just might be our job to recognize it and embrace it.
It is my hope, therefore, that by sharing my experiences and stories with you that we all can learn and grow and live more meaningful lives. Although you may find that much of my own experience centers around abusive relationships, divorce, losing a spouse, having a child with a chronic disease, and dating in one’s forties, the fears and trials associated with loss are universal. So, I do hope that you stick around, whatever experiences of your own may lead you here. And with that said, I also would like to assure you that I am not here to tell anyone how to live and deal with grief or loss on any scale. I’m also not here to dissuade anyone from “holding on” to things valued, for there’s likely a time and place for that, as well. I am here simply as a friend on a journey who invites you to join her and hopes that you might say yes. If you do, perhaps it will be a “gain” for both of us.
Jeanie Unbottled 