Letting Go

This week, as I perused articles that were of interest, I came across one that spoke directly to me.  A mom who had an autistic son wrote a fabulous article describing how she and her husband grieved for the lost opportunities their son would never experience.  She explained the sadness they felt watching their son grow.  In the grieving process, though, she recognized the grief took on a life all of its own, robbing her of living in the present moment and enjoying her son for who he was.  Reading this article caused me to draw parallels in my own life.  In my teenaged years, I dreamed what my life could have been, minus the Cerebral Palsy, so completely that it led me down a dark path; so dark I was afraid it would engulf me.  After traveling this path for a little while, I recognized I grieved for the might-have-beens and that robbed me of everyday life.  I can now say I lead a happier life now that I’ve let go of that image; that fantasy.  Letting go of might-have-beens is hard, but is worth it in the end!

For those who are interested in reading the article, it is http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-krug/grieving-for-the-other-owen_b_3526763.html?ncid=webmail10 .  It’s certainly a good read!