Letting Go

In the 13th chapter of the Gospel According to Luke, Jesus told his disciples this parable:  ‘A man had a fig-tree growing in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, but found none.  So, he said to the vine-dresser, “Look here!  For the last three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig-tree without finding any.  Cut it down.  Why should it go on using up the soil?”  But he replied, “Leave it, sir, this one year while I dig around it and manure it.  And if it bears next season, well and good; if not, you shall have it down.”’

2013

In April 2016 I wrote about my “sick” dogwood tree in the front lawn. “Shall I leave the dogwood tree one more year?  Why not?  Who knows, it just might get well if given proper care and attention.  Then, again, it may not.  We are often in a hurry to cut off a relationship gone sour, or a dogwood tree that has become sick.  Perhaps waiting and giving it (a relationship or a tree) a chance, it will bring about healing and health.”

Unfortunately the dogwood tree, infected by a blight, continued to deteriorate.  There wasn’t much I could do to bring it back to health.  A week ago I had the dogwood tree cut down!  Next spring will not be the same without its blossoms.  Now I must plant another laurel shrub to fill the gap the dogwood tree has left along the fence row.  Sometimes patient waiting doesn’t pay off.  Sometimes we just have to let things go.

“Letting go” is hard to do, whether it be letting go of a tree, a relationship, or a dream.  I suppose we all ask at one time or another, “Do I let go or do I hold on?”  Sometimes our heart wants to hold on, even when our mind says let go.  Ann Landers once wrote, “Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength.  However, there are times when it takes more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”  

2016