July 19th and 19th day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I am still here consistently and persistently. I try to be like Patience and Fortitude, the two marble lion stuatues standing guard outside the New York City Public Library. They sit stalwartly through all the weather. I’m trying to do the same through all the heat and my moods.
Today is a much pleasanter day. There’s a cool breeze flowing through the windows. I did not get much done yesterday. No housework. Just barely managed to cut my hair and showered. The heat was the excuse. I didn’t feel guilty as I gave myself the day to do or not to do as I please. It was my home alone day. The guy went to see his sailing buddies off on their annual week long sail. He decided it was time to let it go though he had organized it over 10 years ago. If anyone wants to buy a sailboat, we have one for sale. It’s almost brand new. He spent a year building it. Sailed only a few times.
My friend and fellow blogger, Kebba, said that a life time is not that long. Even 90 years is really a blink of an eye. She is right. So when you recognize a time to let go of something, let it go. There are many seasons in our lives. Some are longer than others. And if something speaks to you, grab it – for however long it speaks to you. At the beginning of our lives together, it was bicycles for the guy. It was a matter of necessity as well as love. The garage became a repair and build workshop. The yard was full of old bikes and parts. I learned to ride a bike, though not well.
We’ve passed the seasons of bikes. We’ve still have a few idling in the bike shed. One of these days if I get brave…and it grabs me…
onethousandandtwo 
Lily, you give me much to think about, as always. Thank you for quoting me <3. The brevity of our oh-yeah-so-many-years-HA is really present for me. How interesting that The Guy gave up his boat trip almost abruptly. When we have a realization that something is no longer for us, we need to let it go as fast as possible. Maybe The Guy is being called to something else. It will be fascinating to see what that is. As to the bikes, there is probably a nonprofit that would adore to have them, together with The Guy’s occasional mentoring. Thanks for lots to think about, my friend.
Thank you, Kebba. You have helped me alot. I love the NYC Public Library. I’ve experienced it only once.
And thanks for reminding me of the names of the lions at the 42d St Library. When I was at Vassar for college, we would take the train down to NYC for $3.50, visit the Library, and shoe shop. There was a cafe’ that specialized in soups. It was called The Potagerie. You could get delicious soups and breads for lunch there. That was the first half of the ’70’s. I hope it’s still there.
Recognizing that a season has ended and letting go is such a difficult thing to do, even when we know it’s the right time. There is always a bit of grief in saying goodbye to something that once brought us joy, purpose, or a sense of who we were. But perhaps letting go also creates space for new seasons to arrive.
It’s so true that there comes a time when we have to know when to let something go, even when it holds so many memories. I think there is a lot of freedom in accepting that some things are meant for a season and then it’s time to move on. It’s something that I really struggle with. I tend to hang on too long and then it becomes and anchor instead of something bringing me joy.