When We Let Go

by Rochelle B. Weinstein

And I wonder why the ones who need love the most are so difficult to give it to.

when you pretend too long, you begin to believe your own tales.

Because once someone saves you, there’s no turning back, even when you don’t want to be saved.

Sometimes the things people don’t say hurt worse than the things they do. It’s just the way of grief and loss. People think they’re doing you a favor by avoiding the tougher subjects, but the silence only makes the absence bigger, deafening.

“Being strong . . . it doesn’t always mean being tough. It means letting those terrible feelings in, not pushing them away. It’s letting yourself feel all of it.”

“See how quickly things change, Avery? You need to grab sunshine when you can. The real tragedy is living the rest of your life in the dark.”

“Mistakes don’t make you a bad person, Avery. They make you complex and human. Own them. Or the only person you hurt is you.”

“Your garden and dreams require an investment of time,” he continues. “You’ll have to be patient . . . learn to trust the process. And above all else, heed this advice. Much like life, your garden is going to face unforeseen conditions.

holding on to those you’ve lost means you’re living in the past. And if you’re living in the past, you’re not really living.

And I think of all the storms we weathered to land in this place. The broken dreams. The prayers we cast off into the sky. And I know now that endings bring forth new beginnings, and letting go means you’re alive.