things we don't have to hold on to
At least, this is what I thought.
There is a particular kind of tiredness that comes from trying to keep everything in place.
- A friendship that has changed.
- A job that no longer feels quite right.
- A plan that made perfect sense three months ago.
- A version of yourself that everyone else still seems to recognize, even though you don't.
We talk a lot about holding on. Fighting for things. Showing up. Trying again. Giving ourself or people another chance.
And those things can be beautiful.
But sometimes I wonder if we have made letting go sound too much like failure. Maybe some things are allowed to end without anyone being the villain. Maybe a place can be good for you once and not anymore. Maybe changing your mind doesn't mean you were wrong before.
There is something strangely comforting about that. Not everything needs a dramatic ending. Some things just become quieter until one day you realize you've stopped reaching for them.
And perhaps that's okay ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
The older I get, the more I notice how little of life actually stays the way we imagined it.
- People move.
- Cities change.
- Bodies change.
- Plans change.
- We change.
Maybe the trick isn't learning how to keep everything. Maybe it's learning how to appreciate something while it's here, and knowing when to let it become part of the past. I don't think letting go has to mean not caring. Sometimes it might mean caring enough to stop forcing something to remain what it once was.
And maybe there is more freedom in that than we realize.
- To leave some things unfinished.
- To let some questions remain unanswered.
- To allow life to surprise us.
- To make room for whatever comes next.
Not because the old thing wasn't beautiful.
But because beautiful things don't always have to last forever.