Letting Go
A few days after I graduated high school, my (adopted) Auntie B (Barbara Morrison) took me with her on tour. She lost both of her legs at the knee to diabetes and told her manager/ promoters that she needed me to come as her “assistant” but in reality, she knew I had never traveled out of California and she wanted to show me the world.
We flew into Edinburg, Scotland because she was performing at the Fringe Festival. On the plane I imagined she would take me to all the sights - she had been on many tours through Europe so she knew the best places.
When we arrived however, the reality of the physical demand of a professional singer with double prosthesis in her middle age set in - Auntie B needed to sleep all day so she could perform all night.
I couldn’t sleep during the day and I didn’t want to be a bother so I kissed her goodbye and set out on my own. I wore my running shoes so I could run from place to place and see as much as possible. My eyes were filled with stars as I ran all over town. I had never been outside California and I couldn’t believe such a lush green place full of people with funny accents existed! This was when I discovered the joy of traveling alone.
On this trip, I also learned the priceless lesson of letting go. All my expectations of my time wheeling my beloved Auntie B around the cobblestone streets of Glasgow and Germany were dashed. I quickly learned to let go of expectations and make the most of the opportunities in front of me with the resources at my disposal.
Thru hiking requires letting go and on trail I am reminded once again that like all skills, it must be practiced. Recently a collision of factors have forced us to be flexible; fires, my UTI, honoring the life of a loved one, rescuing two dogs, and injury have tested whether I truly learned the lesson of letting go seven years ago or not.
Today I got frustrated. I felt that unforeseen obstacles have and continue to “ruin” my hike then I remembered my Auntie B and that the art of letting go is as simple as remembering that the obstacles are what give the journey meaning.
I breathe in and as I exhale I let go
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