The Importance of Letting Go

The Importance of Letting Go – First Step to Freedom

by Anna Merkaba

A young man was very angry at a group of people who had wronged him.  He was carrying a grudge and his attitude began to change towards even those that he loved.  His father felt that it was important to talk to him before things got out of hand.  One day he came to his son and set a sack of potatoes, an empty burlap bag, and a marker at his feet.

“What is this for?” his son asked.

“Just trust me on this son,” the father said.  “ I want you to write the name of each person who has ever wronged you on a potato and put it into this empty burlap bag.”

“O.K.’” the son said, “this is kind of weird Dad, but whatever floats your boat.” The son was relieved because he was expecting his father to lecture him or dispense fatherly advice.  He began to pull potatoes out of the bag and write the name of each person who had wronged him on a potato.  Soon the empty burlap bag was bulging.  “Well, I think that about covers it from kindergarten to adulthood,” the son announced to his father.

“That’s good, son,” his father patted him on the shoulder.  “But now I want to ask you to do something for me.   I want you to carry that sack of potatoes around with you everywhere you go the rest of this week.”