Taft Gaden - 3 - A Lesson on Letting Go

Chief Yellow Lark

"Oh Great Spirit - whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am a man before You, one of Your many children - I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Made my hands respect the things You have made, my ears sharp to hear Your voice. Make me wise, so that I may know the things you have taught my people - the lesson you have hidden in every leaf and rock."

This day is a foggy thursday morning and as I sit here, the grass beneath me is wet and the trees are letting go of their leaves. Watching them fall around me, I feel inspired to muse on the subject of letting go. Letting go... What does that mean? Does it mean forgiveness? Does it mean to let the seasons come as they may? Does it mean to avoid our deepest fears? Or perhaps does it mean to release into them? Maybe letting go is to jump into deep waters, not knowing where you may end up but perhaps the jump itself may be worth it. What does it mean to let go? To let go of all our leaves, so that we are naked, lighter, preparing for a long sleep - a deep rest - a releasing of the world and all we "know" into unknowing, into delta waves and delta sleep. To let go is to let be in peace. To release all of our thoughts, our beliefs, our convicitons, our desires, our joys and our sadness, our envy and our hardship - is to let go. And to let go is to be lighter. Just as the tree before me releases its leaves, perhaps the time has come for me to release mine and get some rest.