The term “let it go” might be a little different from person to person, but the concept is the same. When some people let things go, they just remind themselves that it’s life and they need to roll with the punches.  Some people do some partying and try to forget about what they can’t change. Then others,  like myself, let it go by giving the ‘it’ to God. I take a deep breath, let it out and try to imagine God removing the stress and weight from my shoulders and literally taking it away. In any account, in order to let something go, we need to believe that we are not in control of all things whether or not you believe in God or the universe or karma or whatever. Focusing only on changing what we can control and working on controlling our reaction over situations we can’t is key to letting things go.

I really think letting things go has got to be the hardest, yet most rewarding thing we can do next to becoming a parent. When you become a parent you understand that it really is the toughest job you’ll ever love. As we go through life, I’m certain the same can be said for just letting go.

This is also one of those things that is definitely easier said than done! I don’t believe anyone could ever do it 100% of the time and in every situation. I am getting better at it as life goes on, but some times are way harder than others! Let’s take, for example, this week. It has been no less than challenging and my patience for a challenge has worn thin. Oh, and it’s only Wednesday!

So, here’s what I do (after I whine to my best friends, visit pity party land, then return to what I still know is my blessed life).  I take each situation separately because all the shit little things that seem to happen all at once are overwhelming,  but easier to reason one by one. Then I do just that…I reason with myself.

The power went out and when it came back on my computer and four of my lights wouldn’t work. One of the lights was in the kitchen so my children had to make school lunches by my phone light. The next day they all started working again 15 minutes before the electrician showed up! So…did I do anything to cause this situation? Nope. Did we check all the fuses? Yup. Could I control this? Nope. Now, let’s look at the good. Did you see how I said, “MY CHILDREN had to make school lunches by my phone light”? Yes! That’s right! I did NOT need to make their lunches because my girls, grades 4 and 6 are perfectly capable of making their own and they do! I know for a fact some of my friends would pay good money not to make lunches every.single. night.  And the electrician didn’t charge for coming out because he just had to tighten a few wires!

Same night…Hanna says, “What are those little black things jumping on Cocoa’s legs?” The dog has fleas.  Awesome. My fault? Again, nope. Can I fix this at 9pm? Negative.  The next day I call the groomer who takes her for a flea bath. Meanwhile, I start cleaning my house at 7am. Stripping things,  scrubbing things, vacuuming things. Between picking kids up and dinner I finish cleaning duties at 8pm. I’m exhausted and want to roll up in a ball and cry. But….I was able to clean out the playroom and get rid of a huge bin and trash bag worth of crap my kids don’t play with anymore while the 4th grader is at school and can’t protest. My living room is spotless, cleaner than its been in months! Oh, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my amazing 6 year old. Yes, be jealous again…I have a 6 year old boy who cleans and helps his mama! Talk about being blessed! I had been wanting to get to that for a while, so, at the end of the day the dog and the house are clean! (The children…not so much, but baths can wait til morning sometimes!)

So, here’s the toughest one to turn around, but if anyone can do it, I can. This morning I get a phone call from school that my daughter who is transfusion dependent on platelets has a nosebleed. Ugh. I had just stepped out of the shower,  2 year old not dressed and hungry, and my head spinning. I make it out of the house in 17 minutes (which, if you know me, is amazing). I get to the school and I know she is shaken, but my amazing kid is only showing her brave face. I can see the look in her eyes though. I’m her mom. I know her. I smile and rub her back and she tells me she has a blood clot stuck in her throat. We get the bucket and call the hospital to let them know we will be there in 45 minutes for platelets because chances are it won’t stop bleeding until she gets them. She starts throwing up blood clots on the way to Providence and crying about how much her tummy hurts. We get about 25 minutes away and we see the bumper to bumper traffic not.moving.at.all. I pop the address into the GPS to see what’s going on. A rollover and 25 minute delay. Ugh again. The GPS tells me to exit and the map shows me going through a city to get back on the highway at an exit right after the accident. I take the back roads and get to the on ramp for the highway to see it is closed due to the rollover happening where the ramp meets the highway! So I need to drive back around the other way to get back on the highway and then I drive like a complete ass in the breakdown lane and cut people off knowing they’d understand and do it too if it were their own kid. We get through it and finally to the clinic. Platelets are ready. My poor girl has a yucky tummy and her nose is still bleeding. In total it bleeds for 3 1/2 hours. She is scared to even check the tissue to see if it stopped, but finally does and we are able to head home after a 7 hour total trip.  On the way home, 6 year old Brody says, “Mom, don’t you wish we never had to go to Hasbro?” Well, that made me think! This was my answer. I am eternally grateful that science has come so far as to be able to give Joni red blood cells and platelets when she needs them. Without them, she wouldn’t be here. But, she is. And she is thriving. She competes in gymnastics and practices 9 hours a week. She loves gym and is an excellent student. She loves her family and her friends. She has fun and we are so blessed to be able to be a part of it all. Without the staff at the hospital that does everything and anything we need and goes above and beyond for us, we would be in a much worse situation as well. By going there, we have become friends with some of the most wonderful, caring women and men on earth. If we hadn’t gone today, we also wouldn’t have run into some of our best friends. We got to have an impromptu visit with friends we don’t get to see too often. What a surprise blessing!

Ok, so there it is. I reasoned.  Now I can let it go. Like I said,  it’s not always easy, but totally worth it. I couldn’t control any of these situations, but it is now in the past and done. It is what it is and tomorrow is another day. Think about what’s weighing you down.  Can you control it? Can you change it? If the answer is NO, then just LET IT GO!  If I can do this, so can you!