Dear Reader:

Don’t we love to hold on to sentimental things? In many cases for too long. For years I have begged my adult ” children” to come get anything they want to keep but basically they seem content for me to keep it.

Rutledge is the only one who helps me out because he wants all his dad’s football trophies, jerseys, equipment… and I am more than happy to send it home with him!!!

Mark Nepo uses a beautiful metaphor to compare our tendency to hang onto items from the past too long by comparing it to a river. A river doesn’t ” own” the water that rushes by…yet it still retains a close relationship to it, as the force of what moves through shapes it. It is the same with everything we love. In truth there is no point holding on to past mementos … for the loving moments have already shaped us into who we are.

How many times have we tried to clean out trunks and closets-only to get detoured looking at old report cards, letters from camp, awards, etc. and moving the sentimental items from one box to another? Mission Impossible!

Sentiment releases powerful feelings that hibernate in us. They take the forms of cards, dried flowers or books. We end up carrying the past too long and the past can weigh us down.

Memories of the love between my children and now grandchildren will always live within me-hanging on to too much ” sentimental stuff” just drags us down-because love is on-going and must be enjoyed in the moment. Do we really need to hang on to a memento to keep that on-going love afloat or free ourselves for the next expression of love!

So until tomorrow … we should realize that the ” most useful gift we can give ourselves is to lay our lives open like a river.”

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh