Letting go. Getting stuck. Being born again.
Are you feeling stuck in a rut in life?
Once as a child, I went with my mom to pick up a special birthday package for my older sister.
My mom had called my sister’s birthday into the radio station for a prize drawing and my sister luckily won.
When we got home, I was so excited.
I gleefully helped my mom get all of the birthday goodies out of the car.
However, in my excitement, I accidentally let go of my sister’s helium balloons before we made it into the house.
I was devastated that I let go of my sister’s balloons.
The balloons were already well out of my reach before I had a chance to grab them.
Fast forward 30 years.
My children all enjoy deliberately letting go of a balloon and watching it float up-up and up into the sky until it disappears (apologies, atmosphere).
In fact, when my youngest son gets a helium balloon at a birthday party, he’ll religiously take it outside and “accidentally” let it go.
Feeling stuck in a rut
Today, I revisited the home where 4 of my 5 children were born and where we brought 3 older children home for adoption.
The house has been sold and the closing is on Tuesday.
When taking one last look around, I quickly experienced a condensed movie trailer of emotions, both good and bad, happy and sad.
Then, I glanced up to the sky and noticed a helium balloon stuck in one of the tallest trees, still flapping around in the wind. Right next to the tattered balloon was a bird’s nest.
The thought came to me, that this is life, all in one snapshot.
Letting go. Getting Stuck. Being born again.
There is something liberating about watching the ascent of a helium balloon.
But there’s always a good chance, like our own rising into the unknown, that we get lodged mid-air, completely out of reach: Feeling stuck in a rut.
Nests always look stuck too, and usually stay wedged well beyond the baby bird’s first flight.
I cried when my babies were born.
I cried when I accidentally released my sister’s balloons.
My mother helped me let go because she knew I’d be sad.
“Here,” she said. “Take this paper bag and draw a balloon and decorate it for your sister.”
That paper bag balloon is forever seared in my memory.
And my sister gracefully loved it.
But more than that, I learned there’s always an opportunity for new birth, even when it seems we’ve let go and still find ourselves feeling stuck in a rut.
LoveLifeLinks.com believes you can stop feeling stuck in a rut.
Remember, you can feel love anywhere. Anytime. All the time.
