Let it go!

When I was alone after Jacques died, the evenings were long and lonely. I had a hard time focusing on books or television, and I realized I longed for company. I started looking for somewhere to go or something to do so that I wouldn’t be around people who said, “Oh, that’s Emily. Her husband died.” I wanted to be anonymous and just fit in. Does this sound familiar?

 

Two years before Jacques died, I had let go of my business, a live theatre, school of arts, café, and art gallery. I had loved having that business, but when I realized that I needed to be with Jacques full time the last couple of years of his life, I was able to move away from the business and be home with Jacques. Returning to that business was not an option, so I needed to figure out what to do next.

 

I found a quilting class at a quaint little shop that I could walk to from my house. I had sewn all my life, so this wasn’t new. But I did get to learn new techniques and see the beautiful quilts everyone was creating. The class was relaxing, and I felt so creative. I didn’t know anyone in the class, and I didn’t make any effort to get acquainted with anyone. I was perfectly happy sewing and listening to my classmates stories.

 

One evening one of my classmates was telling about a beautiful, expensive, intricate quilt she had made for her son. You could hear the love in her voice as she described it. Then she told about how the unbelievable thing happened to her. She attended a big community picnic with her son and his family. And her son’s wife had the nerve to bring that quilt and put it on the ground for the family to sit on, and even share their picnic lunch on! She was appalled and heart broken. I’ll never forget how her friend in the class responded. She said, “Go home and get your dictionary out and look up the word gift. When you give something away, it isn’t yours anymore. You didn’t notice how proud your daughter-in-law was of that quilt that she wanted to show it off. She and your son treasure that quilt. Let it go!”

 

I felt like she had turned on a light bulb in my head!  At that moment, I let my wonderful business go. I had been feeling like since I had created it, spent all that money on it, and spent untold hours there and all that involved, that somehow it was still my baby. I realized right then it was not, and a palpable wave of relief washed over me. I was filled with gratitude for this gift.

 

And the bigger gift for me was realizing that letting things go created a wide open space for me. I stopped worrying about what I could have, should have, would have done, and realized that I was truly living in the moment. In the moment, there is no room for the baggage of what no longer served me. I felt clear and fresh and ready for the rest of my journey.

 

So my gift to you is the reminder to release everything that doesn’t serve you. Let it go! And revel in the joy of the results.

 

P.S. This picture is of a quilt I designed and made by hand after I took that class. It took me two years to finish. I used Hawaiian style motifs that I cut myself. Traditionally, Hawaiian quilts are made of one huge motif, but I couldn’t decide what I liked best, so I made small squares I could easily do on my lap in the evenings. You’ll see turtles, dolphins, breadfruit, hibiscus, pineapple, and anthurium squares. Working on creative projects is a great way to help with grieving!