Letting Go

Some of you may be familiar with the poem by Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne, which has become a popular anthem for ringing in the new year. At midnight on New Year's Eve, we would stand in a circle, cross our arms and hold hands with our neighbours, whilst singing this song, and it would often bring to me a feeling of melancholy yet also deep connection with my fellow partygoers, as we experienced and celebrated the passing of time.

This poem speaks of good times had in days gone by, and the warmth those memories bring even though many weary days have passed since. The poet reminisces about times that were youthful and carefree, before the hardships of life inevitably played themselves out. He asks - must we forget these times and these friends, just because a long time has passed, or can we raise a glass together to celebrate these joyful times and relationships? There is a bittersweet feeling to this poem, one of letting the heart remember loves and joys, while feeling the sadness of those loves and joyful times being a thing of the past.

This to me, is at the heart of being able to let go. Letting go is a process, a frame of mind, a practice, that can help us be at peace with the narratives of our lives, our experiences, our relationships. It’s a balance between feeling the emotional resonance of what we used to have, acknowledging and honouring the part it played in our lives, and listening to that quiet place inside that whispers ‘It’s over’.. If we keep listening, we might also hear that place tell us that there are so many joyful times yet to come!

‘Letting go’ is a practice, because it can be notoriously hard to know when to draw a line under aspects of our lives that are naturally fading into the background. The message of Auld Lang Syne is to give remembrance with kindness, to have a heart alive enough to be accepting of the past, and hopeful for the future. To look back with compassion, and bravely fly forward into the new and unknown!

Happy New Year :)