The Weight of Holding On: Finding Freedom in Letting Go

 

I want to talk about something many of us face as we move into new chapters of our lives: the art of letting go. Sometimes, we hold onto items not because we need them, but because we aren’t sure how to say goodbye to the memories attached to them.

I have a wonderful friend who lost her spouse a few years ago. At 67, she found a beautiful way to navigate this transition. When there are things she knows she needs to part with, she takes a picture of the item first. That photo saves the memory, allowing her to keep the "moment" without having to keep the physical object. It’s a gentle way to honor the past while clearing space for the present.

For me, the journey was a bit different. I realized I had been holding onto items in a storage unit for almost ten years. To be honest, I simply didn’t have the energy—emotional or physical—to go through it all. I kept telling myself, "Wait until warmer weather," or "I’ll get someone to help me."

But then, I had to be honest with myself. I don't have the room for it. It wasn’t worth the physical or emotional toll anymore. I had to realize that the stuff I had was already gone; it had been out of my life for a decade. I was paying money to hold onto things for... who? My kids are grown and have their own lives and belongings to manage. It was time.

Why Now is the Time

If you find yourself standing in front of a closet, a garage, or a storage unit, feeling that familiar weight, ask yourself these three questions:

• Is the memory in the object, or in me? Like my friend found, a photograph can hold the sentiment just as well as a dusty box.

• What is the "Holding Cost"? Whether it’s actual rent for a storage unit or the "mental rent" of knowing you have to deal with it eventually, everything we keep costs us something.

• Am I saving this for a version of me that no longer exists? We are allowed to outgrow our past selves.

The Peace of an Empty Space

Letting go isn’t about losing your history; it’s about gaining your future. When we clear out the "stuff" we’ve been lugging around for years, we make room for new energy, new hobbies, and a lighter way of living.

You don't need a perfectly organized plan or a warm spring day to start. You just need the honesty to say, "I’ve held onto this long enough."

Take the picture. Say thank you. And then, let it go. You deserve the space.

Marge Farrington 

OWRO