Take It & Let Go

Me: "Mum, I have something to ask you: Why is it hard for us to let go?"

Mum: "What do you understand by the term 'let go'? In our lives, we can only let go of something when you have taken something. True?"

I nodded.

"Now, take it this way, you take the final exams and eventually you are going to let go of the paper and hand it in. That's taking and letting go. Then, when the result is out, you go and take it, or accept it, before you finally letting it go to pursue you second semester. Everything comes in pairs. Even when you eat, you take food into your mouth and letting it go at - uh - 'you-know-where'..."

"Is there such a thing which we can take it and hold on to it forever?"

"No. There is no such thing. Even love from your parents is not forever. You know why?"

I shook my head.

"When you were born, we, as your parents, will take you as our dearest child. We nurture you, love you, till you slowly grow up. And at that moment of time, we will let you go. You will be free to roam wherever you want, do whatever you wish. But, in return, you have to take us up. You must give us back the love to complete the cycle. Till one day, when we are gone, you have let us go."

"What happens next?"

"You, then have to take someone else in return. Your new family, siblings, kids... friends... till you let go of them."

"That means, I can have something or someone forever provided when I let them go, they take me up?"

"Yes. That's how life is. Take it and let it go. It's an endless cycle."

"Do you believe in friends forever?"

"Yes, but there is such rare thing as best friends forever. No one will afford to take you up because they have to let something go first. Or you have to let go of something. It always comes with a price. It is rare, but should you find it, I do wish you can treasure it badly."

"So there's a minute possibility that I can find a forever friend?"

"Yes. It must take perfect timing that either of you must take up another, and when it's time to let go, the other must take another up before it expires..."

"I see... what if it expires?"

"You'll get marooned. You will be left alone in the dark in despair. No matter how strong you are, how brave you are, accompaniment is a need and it is buried deep inside our genetics. No one wants to be expired. You will know the feeling when it comes."

"I see... "

My mum suddenly squinted at me. "You cannot let go someone you have taken up, haven't you?"

Anyway, I am glad to say, those words have opened my heart. I now know something important: a young bird, once it knows how to fly, it must fly away. Let it go and it will fly, even the mother has to let go, although in the heart, everyone wishes it to fly back one day.