To Keep, I Must Let Go

January 23, 2004

            When our last child left home I found myself with the “empty nest” syndrome big time.  The empty closets and the quiet house came crashing down on me with loneliness.

            “Let’s get in the pickup and go for a drive,” my husband said, brushing away my tears.

            I reluctantly grabbed my sweater and ran to the pickup.

            “Where are we going?” I asked with an air of despondency.

            “I don’t know,” Emmitt replied, “but we are going to have some simple fun.”

            That excited me.  I loved it when we didn’t make plans and just let life happen.

            We headed west.  We talked about things on the way and reminisced as we drove through the little town we grew up in.

            Before I knew it, we were 75 miles from home.  As we approached a lake we’d taken our boys to many times, Emmitt exclaimed, “Let’s stop and look around.”

            I bounded out of the pickup eagerly.  “Remember when we used to find turtle rocks here when the boys were small?”

            “Maybe we can find one now,” my adoring husband said as he grabbed my hand.

            Then I saw it…this huge, breathtaking piece of gnarled white driftwood.  It displayed deep scars from life’s adversities and that only added to its unique beauty.  The deep white wood reflected in the glistening sunlight.  Thoughts ran through my head.  The storms of life have surely scarred this structure but it has stood its ground. 

            “I’ll get the shovel,” Emmitt said noticing the gleam in my eye.  He worked hard  that day, digging and shoveling, just for me to have that treasure as a keepsake.  He tied it in the back of the pickup and we headed home.

            Those hamburgers in our “home town” tasted as good as ever.  We even found the tree Emmitt carved our initials on the night we graduated from high school.  We sat on the rock wall that surrounded the building and held hands again.

            Darkness had settled as we drove into our driveway.  What a wonderful time we had.

            The next day we put our “treasure” in our front yard.  It is still there, reminding us that we can have wonderful times just being together, doing little simple things.

            Why do I treasure that piece of wood?  Its scars and wounds brought out the brightness of the “sun.” 

            The scars and wounds of my life bring out the brightness of the “Son” too.  “People who do what is right may have many problems, but the Lord will solve them all”  (Psalm 34:19 NCV).

            My driftwood is still standing; reminding me the best things in life are free, simple things that mean so much.  Time spent with loved ones make unforgettable memories.  In spite of trials, God is faithful.  I learned a lot about life that day.  Changes occur in lives.  Enjoy today.  To make happy memories, lose yourself in life.  You only get to keep what you give away.

            Letting go of my children was hard, but as a friend remarked, “In order to keep them, you have to let them go.”