Letting Go

I slowly let go of a white, hellium balloon. It floated up into the air and would eventually be out of sight. I knew I'd never see it again.
I remember, just after releasing it, wanting to reach up and grab it...I did not want to let it go just yet. I hadn't had enough time with it. But it was too late...gone.
It was the day of my grandmother's funeral.

My dog just turned one year old. He has big teeth and when he grabs on to his ball or chew toy or a sock there is no getting that thing out of his mouth. He holds on for dear-life.
"Drop, Marley" is a constant saying in our house.

Why is it so hard to let go?

People don't want to do it. Dogs don't want to do it. Kids certainly don't want to do it.

Is it because we feel territorial and possessive?
Does it have to do with change?
Is it because we believe that if our little brother gets it then it won't come back the same?
Does letting go mean we may never be the same?

My daughter has said that she can't remember what her great grandmother looked like. The memory is fading.
Is letting go the acknowledgement that soon a person can be gone even from our memory? Even the good stuff...gone?

In this economy some of us are letting go of a certain lifestyle. Our springbreak family vacation to Disney World has been replaced with a trip to the local bowling alley and boardgames at home. Jewelry on Valentines Day is now a stroll along the river at sunset. Gym memberships have been exchanged with a pair of tennis shoes, a leash and the dog.

Letting go is hard.
And yet it can also be freeing.
A friend of mine just lost 70 lbs. She looks amazing. She let go of the weight, along with some other issues she had been hanging on to. Her soul is lighter.

I think I'll join a catch and release program...sit on a boat, wait, catch a fish, then release it back into the water. Over and over.
Perhaps this will build up strength.
Maybe.
And maybe I'll become a little more willing to let go of certain things in my life.
But I'll always wish I had more time with my grandmother!