As we enter the late summer season, we enter an opportunity to let go.
From the Tao Te Ching #48 – “In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.”
Here, at Wayward Haven, we begin the process of storing canned and frozen produce, potatoes, squashes, pumpkins; and cleaning up the gardens, putting things away that we won’t need for a while, and organizing the sheds to make it easier come springtime. We’re expecting a heatwave this week, so we’ll go slow and take care to stay cool and hydrated.
The question we’re sitting with this week is, “What can we let go of?”
This question isn’t simply about what we can get rid of as we clean and organize, it’s also about the things inside us that we tend to accumulate. Like weeds in the garden, if you let things go too long, they take over.
But here’s the thing: letting go of inner accumulations is sometimes much harder than cleaning out a shed. It’s easier to see the clutter at the end of the season than it is to “see” the clutter inside us. Our biology knows though.
And that’s one reason we love this time of year. Things slow down just enough to give some attention to how we feel. We walk the paths across the farm to see what’s blooming, what the wildlife is doing, what the trees look like. Things come and go in their own time, and they don’t worry when it’s time to let the blooms fade or the leaves fall. They will have done all they can for the season.
And so have we. We’re not quite done yet, but we look forward to discovering what we can drop so we can better attune to nature’s rhythms – and our own.
What have you accumulated while your attention has been elsewhere? This might be a good week to ask, “What can I let go of?” Nothing is sacred. Even if you think of something, now may not be the time to let it go. Be patient, watch what comes up, write it down, and just let it sit. You’ll know when it’s time.