Quick To Let Go

There's a saying I've heard from many sources, and I like to repeat it when I give lessons myself. "A good horseman is slow to grab and quick to let go." Which is the pole opposite of human nature. We tend to hang on tight any time we get worried,  which is no kindness to those we love, equine, canine, feline, or human. 

But with age and repeated lessons, I'm learning its truths at a far deeper level than in regards to the reins I hold. We humans will grab on to damn near anything with our busy little digits. Jobs that don't suit us, relationships that limit us, places that no longer feed our souls. We fear what may happen if we let go, for the bronc we know is better than the bronc we don't. 

I've been forced to let go many, many times. Life repeated the lesson a lot more before I learned to release things without a fight. Whether it was letting go of a horse determined to escape, because my hands don't need more arthritis than they already threaten me with, or watching friends grow their own way without me. Now, my heart and my hands open with much more ease, not only to let go of what does not serve me, but to be ready to accept what blessings are coming next. We can't recieve if the heart or hands are closed. 

Never is this lesson more prevalent when it comes to an animal companion passing on. Sometimes from one home to another Sometimes from this world to the next. In all cases, if we were to close our hearts under the weight of grief, to grab onto all the broken pieces of our love and swear never to share our journey with another soul, we would be unable to receive the love that could fill us up in new and beautiful ways. Because every time I open that door in my heart, every time I open my hands to receive, the universe sends along just the right soul to match and challenge and comfort my own. 

Just a couple weeks ago, my sweet, barely 1yr old cat, Dare, succumbed to complications from a heart murmur. We knew our time was borrowed from the beginning, but we loved each other anyway. Love is never a waste, I think, however brief its season. Then, just as the haze of grief that had clouded my every moment began to clear, a friend told me about another youngster that wanted a home of his own. Haven't met him yet, so no new friend as of this blog post. But my heart is open. My breaths deep and full of acceptance. I'm quick to let go, and getting more graceful about it all the time. 


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