Letting go of the green silk shirt

We often hold on to things because of what we wish for them to be.

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Like the green silk shirt that was once so beautiful and flattering on me. But it got a weird snag at the shoulder that ruined the whole look.

I wished for that shirt to be as beautiful as it once was, so it stayed in my closet for years.

Or the Kids in the Kitchen cookbook I got for my son, hoping it would solve 3 problems in one $20 gift: his not-eating issue, my desire to cook more, and my desire to be more present with him after school. But when we pull it out, he chooses raspberry-chocolate cookies that require ingredients we don’t have in the house, I choose mini-pizzas, and we make nothing.

I wish for that cookbook to give Austin and me something we can enjoy together, so I keep it on the shelf.

Or when I sit in the dining room near Austin and Aaron, trying to do a little work while they play-wrestle in the living room because I want to be near them. But I roll my eyes and sigh with each of their shrieks and “No. That hurts.”

I wish for their company in a way that makes me feel happy and secure, so I stay out there instead of moving to my office.

Once you recognize that you’re holding on to something because of a wished-for reality that can’t happen, it’s a lot easier to let go and get yourself what you need instead.

Talk to you soon,

Andrea