Sometimes I get tired about this topic of "letting go". Buddhist tradition tells us of our pain being caused by our attachments. We will know peace, we are promised, when we can let go of our need to hold on to people, places or things. Countless new-age or even mainstream writers inform us that letting go is a path to freedom. I do believe that is true. I have either consciously chosen to release what I held so dearly, or the Universe has given me a nudge (sometimes hitting my ego mind with a cosmic 2x4), that my grip on the known had to loosen, or else...
Today I had finally readied myself to give some of my cherished items from the past back to the Universe. I believe in recycling, i.e. offering up to others what no longer serves me. My former treasures may become someone else's delight. Over 20 years ago, I had moved to San Diego from Germany. At the time, I chose to bring only a few boxes of cherished items with me to the New World. One of them was a heavy old mending iron, the type that our ancestors filled with hot coals for ironing their clothes, in absense of electricity. During our most recent move, the iron had been stored in a cardboard box that was subsequently damaged by the winter rains flooding our garage. When I unpacked it, the iron was blossoming with rust from the dampness. With a heavy heart, I decided to give it away. At the Salvation Army pickup station I handed the iron and a few other damaged memorabilia to the attendant who was going to receive my stuff and place it into those huge containers. The attendant noticed my attachment and looked at me, with a compassionate smile. "Are you sure you want to get rid of this", he asked with a gentle voice. "I got to let go, it's just stuff, and it clutters up my space! But... but.. this item has such an amazing story", and I proceeded to tell the attendant the story that came with my mending iron, and why I had brought such a heavy item with me long ago. He smiled again and gently suggested "I think you should keep this iron. It has a great energy, and it holds special memories".
To make a long story short: I kept the mending iron. Not only that, but I polished it and placed it over the fireplace, where I enjoy its presence once again. Do we need to let go? Absolutely. And we also have the power to make a few deliberate choices which honor our memories and our past.
